YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → 10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 2 | Audiobook (Sleep/Study/Focus)

10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 2 | Audiobook (Sleep/Study/Focus) — Transcript

by 10HourNovels · 110,661 words · 18,594 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00They were standing in a lush green
0:01valley, as he had guessed from the
0:03sound, surrounded by mountains with a
0:05massive golden pyramid temple in front
0:07of them.
0:08The steps up each side pulsed with magic
0:11that he could feel even from hundreds of
0:12meters away, while between him and the
0:14temple stood thousands of glowing
0:16crystal golems, the same rainbow hue as
0:18the crystals that they had come here to
0:20recover.
0:21I'm going to guess that there was no
0:23warning about not touching the crystal
0:24with your bare skin.
0:26But wherever we are, we might be in
0:28trouble.
0:30Carl informed who were a bit slower to
0:32adjust than he was.
0:34How did we get here?
0:36And holy hell, are those golems?
0:39I want one.
0:41Dana gasped, shocking Carl with her
0:43unexpected language.
0:45The golems were beautiful and they
0:47looked powerful, but if Thor's guess was
0:49right, they were far from friendly.
0:52Thor activated his lightning barrier,
0:54ready to fight, but the golems didn't
0:56move at all.
0:58They just stood there, watching the
1:00group of intruders from a distance.
1:02Carl stepped forward to calm the nervous
1:04Sero, not wanting to start an incident
1:06before everyone was recovered and they
1:08had some idea what was going on.
1:11If touching the crystal brought them
1:12here, then doing it again on this side
1:14might send them all back.
1:16That would likely be for the best if it
1:18was possible.
1:20But when he got a few steps forward, a
1:22message appeared in the air in front of
1:24them.
1:25Welcome to the World Dragon Temple's
1:27trial instance.
1:28Do you see that?
1:30Dana asked from behind him.
1:33I do and I would rather that I didn't if
1:35it means we've got to fight those
1:36golems.
1:38Carl agreed.
1:39I think that we stepped into an ancient
1:41holy relic.
1:43The crystals must have been the ruins of
1:45its activation array before it was
1:46buried under the cavern and now we're in
1:48some sort of trial ground that the World
1:50Dragon Church set up for their members.
1:53She added.
1:55That's not reassuring at all.
1:57Though most of the holy relics from
1:59those ancient times didn't lead to
2:00death, a trial ground might, especially
2:03if it was damaged by time.
2:05While they tried to make sense of the
2:07message, one of the golems stepped
2:09forward.
2:10The trial is simple.
2:12Make it up the steps to claim your
2:14reward.
2:15If you fall down the steps, you may
2:17continue to attempt to pass your
2:19previous high mark.
2:21The golem spoke in a strange accent
2:23directly into their minds.
2:25The lines of golem split, leaving the
2:27road empty, and Carl took another step
2:30forward with Thor between him and the
2:31crystal giant.
2:33It made no move to attack and Carl
2:35simply shrugged at the other students as
2:37he began to walk toward the golden
2:39temple.
2:40If they had happened upon a holy relic,
2:42there was bound to be something left
2:44behind from the mythical times when
2:46magic users reigned supreme and
2:48legendary beasts fought against dragons
2:50for supremacy of the skies.
2:52According to the tales of his childhood,
2:54the World Dragon and the World Dragon
2:56Church of those times had made a pact
2:59that had allowed the humans to live
3:00glorious lives of power and wealth.
3:03Now that the elite serum had been
3:05developed, Carl and everyone else knew
3:07that it was likely related to the system
3:08stones, but the fairy tale only got more
3:11popular instead of fading once it was
3:13proven to be plausible historical fact.
3:16Maybe he would learn what had happened
3:17to end those glorious times and how such
3:20a powerful culture fell into ruin.
3:22This place looked intact, so it had to
3:25have survived hundreds of thousands of
3:26years of history buried beneath the
3:28forest.
3:30Behind him, the rest of the group moved
3:32in a defensive formation with the mages
3:34and clerics in the middle row and Dana
3:36taking up the rear as she did her best
3:38to examine the golems for ideas on how
3:40to make one.
3:42The cleric simply stared at everything
3:44with reverent awe.
3:45This was a holy relic, a legacy of their
3:48church, their own ancestors.
3:50Temples like these were the ancient seat
3:52of the church's power, the source of the
3:54healing magic that they had managed to
3:56sustain with their faith through even
3:58the darkest of times.
4:00When they reached the clearing around
4:01the temple, another one of the golems
4:03stepped in front of them and seemed to
4:05stare at Thor, who was still bristling
4:07with lightning.
4:08There are four sides to the temple, four
4:10staircases to walk and four levels of
4:13difficulty to master the lessons of the
4:15trial.
4:16Walking up the first side will test your
4:18strength.
4:19It is the easiest, as strength can be
4:22trained by any of the chosen.
4:24The second will test your magic.
4:27Like strength, magic can also be trained
4:29by any of the chosen, but it is the more
4:31difficult path.
4:33The third side will test your will.
4:36Will can be tempered, but should the
4:38tempering fail, it will shatter and
4:40leave you broken.
4:41For that reason, the third side is the
4:43most dangerous.
4:45The fourth side will test your affinity
4:47with fate.
4:49Approach the temple and speak the side
4:51you wish to challenge.
4:52Each visitor may challenge one side per
4:55day.
4:56Every day you remain on a chosen side,
4:58the difficulty of the other sides will
5:00increase.
5:02All the students stared at each other in
5:03shock.
5:05What sort of trial was this?
5:07They just had to walk up the stairs and
5:09it would test them somehow.
5:11Then Thor disappeared and reappeared a
5:14second later on one of the staircases to
5:16the temple.
5:17Nothing is stronger than a Sero.
5:20Thor announced proudly in Carl's mind as
5:22he stepped onto the first stair and a
5:24crushing weight seemed to descend upon
5:26him.
5:27See, nothing at all.
5:29He gloated, then took another step and
5:31the weight doubled.
5:33One more step and he began to reconsider
5:35his position.
5:37Except maybe these stairs.
5:39He amended when he was forced to a stop.
5:42There were a thousand steps by Carl's
5:45estimation to get to the top.
5:47Thor was struggling at step three and
5:49had come to a stop at step five.
5:52Well, that's how it's done, I guess.
5:55Just will yourself to the trial you
5:57desire and see how that works out for
5:59you.
6:00We will stay here as long as we can. At
6:02a very minimum, we will stay four days
6:05so we can try all the routes.
6:07We have enough resources for that in our
6:09packs and it's only half a day to the
6:11train tracks.
6:13Carl informed the group.
6:15I like the way you think, team leader.
6:18Now, let's go do the trial before the
6:20clerics start crying in joy.
6:23One of the warriors laughed.
6:25Have you two taken a divine injection
6:27yet?
6:28Carl asked the clerics as the rest of
6:30the group began to move forward.
6:33They shook their heads.
6:35Not until next year.
6:37We're still trainees at the seminary
6:39school.
6:40Then this will be quite a day for you.
6:43Just do the best that you can and maybe
6:45start with the magic route since you've
6:47got some skill with holy magic already.
6:50Carl let Hawk and Ray out of their
6:52spaces and Hawk immediately vanished
6:54from sight, going to one of the tests
6:56that they couldn't see from their
6:57position.
6:58The mages and warriors all seemed to
7:00still be visible, so it would be
7:02willpower and fate that were on the far
7:04side of the temple.
7:06Ray went to join Thor on the strength
7:08training side as she wasn't confident in
7:10her magical abilities, while Carl
7:12considered what route he should try
7:13first.
7:15The golem said one route a day, so he
7:17would try willpower first as that was
7:19one that he was more confident in.
7:22Once you had learned to get past the
7:24fear and claustrophobia of the crushing
7:25depths of the mines, not many things
7:28would bother you.
7:29Plus, he had noticed that his will was
7:31stronger than most thanks to the beasts
7:33and that might earn him some reward.
7:36There were only a few others on the
7:37willpower testing stairs when Carl
7:39arrived.
7:41Hawk plus the female cleric student and
7:43one mage.
7:45Carl set foot on the first step and a
7:47sense of doubt began to set in.
7:50What if the test rewards were only for
7:51the first trial?
7:53Surely, it would have been better to go
7:55to the other stairwells first in that
7:57case.
7:58But Carl kept to his decision and took
8:00another step.
8:02The more that he thought about it, the
8:04more likely it was that this was also a
8:06test of character.
8:08Would the temple think that he had
8:09nothing else going for him but pure
8:10determination?
8:12He had met dozens of students like that
8:14in the accuracy training sessions.
8:17They had remarkable willpower to keep
8:19going, keep training and grinding away
8:21every single day, but where did that get
8:23them?
8:24It got them to the bottom of the class,
8:26that was where.
8:28Because willpower was all that they had.
8:31Carl had talent.
8:33He had magic, he had strength.
8:36If he had tested those first, the temple
8:38would still see his determination, his
8:40willpower to keep going.
8:42Why had he chosen this staircase?
8:45Another step and another as the
8:47self-doubt crept in and the world around
8:49him faded until Carl could only sense
8:51what was around him.
8:53He barely noticed as he passed the mage,
8:55who was on the fifth step and in the
8:56middle of an existential crisis, or when
8:59he passed Hawk on the seventh step, who
9:01had stopped to have a little snack
9:02before he continued.
9:04The golem hadn't said anything about
9:06being timed.
9:08Perhaps Hawk had the right of it and you
9:10should save your strength and keep
9:11refreshed.
9:13No, if he stopped, it would be that much
9:15harder to get going again.
9:17Carl made it past the 10th step and the
9:20world completely vanished around him,
9:22leaving him in a vision of the mines.
9:24He was trapped in a collapse, his legs
9:27pinned, but ahead of him was another
9:28miner, closer to the emergency bell and
9:31gasping for breath.
9:33The man's rebreather was broken, but he
9:35could get to the button.
9:37Carl took off the miner's mask he was
9:39wearing and threw it to his struggling
9:41co-worker, then held his breath against
9:43the toxic fumes as the faceless man
9:45scrambled for the button and the
9:46emergency supplies locker beside it.
9:4910 more seconds, that was all he needed.
9:5210 seconds and the man would be coming
9:54back to throw him a new mask.
9:579 8, Carl struggled to hold on.
10:00If he passed out, he would start
10:02breathing again, and the toxic fumes
10:04would linger in his lungs, adding a bit
10:06more permanent damage to the lifetime of
10:08injuries that a minor would suffer.
10:11In his mind, Carl was still young. He
10:13hadn't taken a divine serum yet, and he
10:16knew that childhood lung injuries could
10:17ruin a man before he even became a man,
10:20leaving him useless underground.
10:22He would hold on. He had to.
10:25Then the minor was back and slapping the
10:27mask over his face with a blast of fresh
10:29compressed air, and Carl was back in the
10:31real world looking at the staircase in
10:33front of him.
10:35What was that?
10:36He muttered as he looked at the steps in
10:38front of him.
10:39The golem had said that it would test
10:41his willpower, but it didn't say
10:43anything about that.
10:45Another step forward, and the reluctance
10:47built.
10:48This was an impossible task. There was
10:50no way that anyone was going to make it
10:52to the top with that sort of horror in
10:54their minds.
10:55No wonder the mage had stopped, and the
10:57cleric girl was moving so slowly. This
11:00was torture.
11:01Worse, it was self-inflicted torture
11:04with no promise of rewards.
11:06There was no reason for him to keep
11:08going. He could just go back down and
11:10relax for the rest of the day.
11:12Maybe the warriors would be able to use
11:14the strength wall as a training event.
11:17He could go there tomorrow and try it as
11:19a gym day, building some muscle strength
11:21as he tried to move his physique toward
11:23ascended.
11:24But even with the doubts in his mind,
11:26Carl forced himself forward another
11:28step.
11:29There was definitely a reason he picked
11:31this side.
11:33He couldn't remember what it was right
11:34now, but he was certain that this was
11:36the right side for him to test himself
11:38on first.
11:40That thought got him through two more
11:41steps before he realized that you were
11:43unable to see the other stairs once you
11:45were on one.
11:47How would anyone even know if he did
11:48well?
11:50He could just slack off and wait here
11:51for hours, and then tell everyone that
11:53he did well.
11:55It was just the cleric and one mage
11:57here, and they were both lost in their
11:59own minds already.
12:01They wouldn't say anything against him.
12:03But another step reminded Carl that he
12:05had work to do. He would make it to the
12:07top and find out what sort of
12:08recognition he could get from the
12:10temple.
12:11But another step reminded Carl that he
12:13had work to do. He would make it to the
12:15top and find out what sort of
12:16recognition, if it was impressed with
12:18his determination, his willpower, maybe
12:20it would grant him a boon of some sort,
12:22a bit of magic that would help him in
12:24his training.
12:25Training the beasts.
12:27That was his ultimate goal, to help them
12:29grow and let them pull him up to the top
12:31with them.
12:33He couldn't be less determined than they
12:34were.
12:36Even Ray was out in the sunshine testing
12:38her strength on the stairs. He could
12:40feel the pressure that she was under, as
12:42if a mountain was trying to crush her to
12:43the stone steps, but her spindly little
12:46legs were still holding strong and
12:47pushing her upward.
12:49That was determination. That was
12:51willpower.
12:53He would keep going.
12:55Even Hawk was moving again now that he
12:57had realized that the cake was a lie,
12:59and that whatever delicacy he had seen
13:01was just a way that the temple used to
13:02convince him to stop, to give up and not
13:04progress any further.
13:07The sun began to set over them when Carl
13:09forced himself to the 41st stair,
13:11pulling his mind out of a nightmare of
13:12desperation where he had lost
13:14everything, even his pets while trapped
13:16and starving here in this broken relic
13:18with no way out.
13:20Well, that one hit a bit too close to
13:22home.
13:23I've got this. One more step.
13:26Carl mumbled to himself, unconcerned if
13:28anyone thought that he was a madman.
13:31Then the sun settled below the horizon,
13:33and Carl, along with everyone else who
13:35was still undergoing the trials, found
13:38himself standing in the grass near the
13:39second golem who had spoken to them.
13:42The trials last one day at the most.
13:45The golem informed them, then went back
13:47to its silent judgment of their efforts.
13:50Perhaps we should have waited until
13:51morning to start our first attempt, but
13:53I think that we did pretty well.
13:56Dana mumbled as she lay on the grass,
13:58staring at the darkening sky.
14:01I'm not sure if we would survive a whole
14:02day of that.
14:04Even with these few hours, I had to back
14:06down two steps near the end because the
14:08weight was becoming too much to bear.
14:11One of the warriors replied.
14:13Well, there's always tomorrow.
14:16But first, we should make some dinner
14:18and set up camp.
14:20Carl reminded them.
14:22He was not going anywhere near the
14:24willpower steps again, tomorrow or ever.
14:27He had done enough of that.
14:29Setting up the camp proved that there
14:31had been some serious oversights in
14:33their mission training.
14:35It was assumed that the leaders would be
14:36experienced, and not just powerful first
14:39years who had never actually used any of
14:41the kit before.
14:42So, an hour after dark, they were only
14:45just finally managing to get the tents
14:47set up around a small magical fire that
14:49they assumed was intended to be their
14:51campsite.
14:52It was made of flaming rocks, which gave
14:54off a gentle blue glow, as well as a
14:56level of warmth that reminded everyone
14:58that while this was a magical realm, it
15:00was still getting colder at night.
15:03For most of the students, that wasn't a
15:04big deal, but some of them came from the
15:06warmer climates or from the big cities
15:09where the apartment buildings were
15:10maintained at a steady temperature.
15:13They weren't expecting how fast it got
15:15cold out, even with the fire nearby, and
15:17many had chosen to pitch their tents
15:19further away for privacy.
15:22That situation changed quickly, and the
15:24students who had camped further from the
15:25fire found themselves moving out of
15:27their tents and coming forward.
15:30Carl and Dana had both chosen spots near
15:32the fire, but not because they knew
15:34about the temperature.
15:36They were both used to it getting cold
15:37at night and were somewhat used to the
15:39change, but they had wanted to be closer
15:41to the center so that they could respond
15:43evenly to an attack from any direction.
15:46Both golems and Ray were on lookout for
15:48the early portion of the evening, while
15:49Hawk would be taking over from Ray later
15:51so that they would both have enough
15:53sleep tonight.
15:54They could both see well enough in the
15:56dark with the simulated stars overhead,
15:59but nothing that they were seeing was
16:00enough to concern them, and Carl didn't
16:02wake until Hawk informed him that it was
16:04first light and that Thor was being
16:06annoying.
16:07The lightning serow had realized that
16:09many of the students couldn't sleep in
16:11their cold tents, so he had volunteered
16:13his large, warm body to help them out.
16:16Which naturally led to the students
16:17going around in the morning to find
16:19snacks for their scaly benefactor, and a
16:21lot more movement than the grumpy Hawk
16:23would have preferred.
16:25One of the students tapped a spoon
16:26against his metal canteen to get
16:28everyone's attention.
16:30Everyone, bring out the breakfast packs
16:32and anything you have to season them.
16:35If you brought something that you think
16:36looks good, you can bring it out as
16:38well.
16:39What I'm going to make this morning is
16:41known as a cowboy stew.
16:43I'm not sure how many of you know how to
16:45cook at all, but I grew up on a cattle
16:47ranch, and we learned that if everyone
16:49brings a different bit of the basics, we
16:51can actually make one large decent meal
16:53out of 10 lousy ones.
16:55The boy explained.
16:57The students that Carl had set to pick
16:59berries each brought out a couple, as
17:01well as the packs of dry oatmeal,
17:03granola, and dried fruit that were in
17:05the breakfast ration pack.
17:07The rancher's son brought out a pot that
17:09he had managed to stuff into the bottom
17:11of his pack, and one of the mages filled
17:13it halfway up with a water spell.
17:15Then he added all the various
17:17ingredients in, and Carl brought him
17:19three sticks to create a tripod to hang
17:21it over the fire, the way his mother did
17:23at home in the summer.
17:25It got too hot to cook inside, and this
17:27method was much better for cooking over
17:29the fire pit in the yard.
17:31Then Carl brought out the masterpiece of
17:34the meal, much to Hawk's annoyance.
17:36A large piece of iron tusk boar meat at
17:39the common rank.
17:41One of the last pieces from the very
17:42first boars that they had killed during
17:44the fight against the goblin tribe, and
17:46a food product that Hawk routinely
17:48ignored in favor of the many better
17:50options in his space.
17:52Food didn't go bad in there. It seemed
17:54to be in stasis.
17:56So, though Carl couldn't keep books in
17:58there, all forms of food and other
18:00resources were a valid option, and it
18:02was going to make their breakfast much
18:04more enjoyable.
18:05One of the mages scrubbed off a flat
18:07rock and began cutting the meat into
18:09small cubes, making 40 of them in total,
18:12then conjured a collection of long
18:14sticks and began to skewer them.
18:16Now, this is what I'm talking about.
18:19See, everyone, with just one chunk of
18:21meat and a few berries, we're all going
18:24to be eating well today.
18:26The warrior stirring the oatmeal
18:27gloated.
18:29They weren't master chefs, and some of
18:31the kebabs got a bit burnt on the edges,
18:33but the oatmeal was fruity instead of
18:35bland, with no dried chunks of leathery
18:37mystery fruit to gnaw on.
18:40That left each of them with a small
18:41package of nuts left over, and the drink
18:43mix to go in the plastic drink pouches
18:45if they wanted something other than
18:47water.
18:48Once they finished eating, Carl stood to
18:50address the group.
18:52All right, you can try the same side
18:54again if you think that you will gain
18:56something from it, or you can try a
18:58different one.
18:59I know we all discussed our experience
19:01last night, and the willpower side was
19:03definitely not the most popular among
19:05the options, but for those of you with
19:07trouble concentrating on your abilities,
19:09it might still be a valid and valuable
19:11training resource.
19:13Take some time to choose your path.
19:16You can only do one a day, so there is
19:18no need to rush right to the wall this
19:20instant.
19:21I will see you all when we get back, but
19:23don't forget to bring water and
19:25something to eat in case you find a spot
19:27you wish to train on all day.
19:29He informed the group.
19:32As terrible as the willpower stairs
19:33were, his meditation last night had made
19:36huge strides in the improvement of the
19:37living spaces for his pets, and Carl was
19:40briefly tempted to go back just to see
19:42if he could meditate on the higher steps
19:44and improve the beast spaces even more
19:46rapidly.
19:47If the spaces were at their peak, it
19:49might make it easier for the three
19:51beasts to grow.
19:53Hawk was certainly advancing far beyond
19:55what anyone would expect of a wind-speed
19:57hawk.
19:58But it was also possible that what they
20:00needed was a more magical environment.
20:03Carl was human, they were all magical
20:05beasts.
20:07What if the real limitation was the fact
20:08that he had a virtually non-existent
20:10mana pool?
20:12He might not think of it the same way
20:13that a mage did, but ultimately, the
20:16energy needed to use Rand was still
20:18magical energy. So, there should be some
20:20merit to going up the mana improvement
20:22stairs.
20:24The warriors of the ancient times had
20:25powers beyond anything that he could
20:27dream of holding for himself. So, was it
20:29possible that they did it by having a
20:31well-rounded set of abilities and not
20:33some super rare class and an immortal
20:35ancient bloodline that allowed them to
20:36leave their competition in the dust?
20:39Three of the sides of the pyramid
20:40appeared to be intended to train every
20:42aspect that a true warrior could need,
20:44and they were intending to stay here
20:46longer, so there was no harm in using
20:48one of the days on the mana stairs.
20:50Even if they didn't help much, he could
20:52still meditate and make the best of his
20:54time.
20:55Hawk had the same idea.
20:58He had tested his willpower, and the
21:00stairs had tested his appetite.
21:03So, today he would train his magical
21:04stamina instead.
21:07Ray had decided to stay on the strength
21:08stairs to build her rapidly growing body
21:10to a standard she was happy with, while
21:13Thor didn't see any other option than
21:14strength as being worthwhile.
21:17All the warriors were with him on that
21:18one, except for one berserker who was
21:21staring toward the willpower stairs,
21:23which startled everyone around him.
21:25Are you thinking of building your
21:26willpower to extend the amount of time
21:28that you can maintain the pain
21:30nullification and enhancement of
21:31berserk?
21:33I think it should work.
21:35I trained for a few days with Professor
21:37Tank, learning how to fight against and
21:39alongside berserkers, and there was a
21:41lot of willpower involved on his end.
21:44Carl encouraged the young fighter.
21:46The mention of the massive berserker
21:48made the warriors smile as they
21:49reminisced about meeting him, and that
21:51steeled the boy's resolve.
21:54One day, I will be as mighty as him.
21:57He agreed, then stepped up to the
21:59guardian golem and vanished to his
22:00chosen trial.
22:02One by one, the rest split up, and Carl
22:05found himself standing next to Dana at
22:07the bottom of the mana staircase.
22:10You're training mana with Hawk.
22:12That's unexpected.
22:14She commented as Carl stared up the
22:16staircase.
22:18Magical beasts, magical energy.
22:21I think it will help.
22:23If not, I've wasted a day, but I can
22:25meditate on the steps.
22:27Carl shrugged.
22:29Well, if you're willing to risk it, I
22:31won't stop you.
22:33Good luck. I'll look back now and then
22:35to see how you're doing.
22:37Dana laughed as she set off up the
22:38stairs.
22:40The first few weren't going to pose any
22:42problems to her, especially now that she
22:44knew how it worked, but the moment that
22:46Carl put his foot on the first step and
22:48felt the overwhelming magical force on
22:50his body, he knew that he was not going
22:52to be impressing anyone today.
22:54Carl managed to make it to the third
22:56step before the crushing weight of the
22:58mana test forced him to a stop, freezing
23:00his body in place and preventing him
23:02from taking another step.
23:04There was an enormous amount of power
23:06around him, and he had very little clue
23:08about what to do with it.
23:10It wasn't the same as the energy in his
23:12beast spaces, but it was similar.
23:14It almost felt like an unformed magical
23:17attack, power waiting for guidance.
23:20That was a concept that he understood a
23:22bit better.
23:23The energy that he used to form attacks
23:25came through the beast space, normally
23:27Hawk's as Carl hadn't tried really using
23:29any ability but Rand and Shred.
23:32He could use the lightning shield to a
23:34comfortable standard, and offensive
23:36optimization was more of a passive
23:37ability that worked all the time, so it
23:39was the one space where he normally got
23:41his power.
23:43But if he reversed that path, taking the
23:45outside power and pulling it back into
23:47the space, would that improve them?
23:50There was one way to find out, and this
23:52trial hadn't hurt any of the mages who
23:54drew the power in, so it should be safe
23:56enough.
23:57Carl stood motionless on the third step
23:59as the mages all walked past him with
24:01curious looks.
24:03The worst of them had made it to the
24:05fifth step yesterday, but Carl, who was
24:07much more powerful, was stuck on the
24:09third.
24:10From their point of view, the test
24:12definitely favored mages, and they had
24:14made the right choice to keep training
24:16their strengths before worrying about
24:18their weaknesses.
24:19Their strengths were still weak enough
24:21that they couldn't be neglected.
24:23Carl managed to get a trickle of energy
24:25to flow into the three spaces, filling
24:27them with sparkling motes of light that
24:29slowly integrated themselves with the
24:31constructs that Carl had made to flesh
24:33the spaces out into their own small
24:35worlds.
24:36He did his best to meditate as he stood
24:38there, frozen in place, and the trickle
24:40eventually became Well, it was still a
24:43trickle. Carl couldn't lie to himself
24:45and call it more than that, but it was a
24:47steady one.
24:48The plant life was multiplying,
24:50improving the lake in Hawk's space, the
24:52grasslands in Thor's, and the bushes in
24:54Ray's home, while also condensing a
24:56stronger energy inside.
24:59The expansion rate was still the same as
25:01it had been last night, but the quality
25:03of the space was actually improving now.
25:06That hadn't really been the case before.
25:09It would improve a little when Carl
25:10focused on adding an element, but mostly
25:12he improved the size of it so that it
25:14would stabilize and allow the pets'
25:16energy to feed back to him.
25:18Carl wasn't sure how much time had
25:20passed when the burden on him began to
25:22lessen, and he managed to move up
25:23another step.
25:25But he noticed that the sun was no
25:27longer overhead, and it was on the side
25:29of his face when he moved up to the
25:30fifth stair.
25:32The team was going to be overjoyed when
25:34they got back home tonight.
25:36Carl's lake was an actual lake now, with
25:38small silver fish made of pure energy
25:41flitting about in it. Thor's grasslands
25:43had a number of solid stone pillars that
25:45he shouldn't be able to break in enough
25:46room to get a good run at them, while
25:48Ray's dark bushes now had a half dozen
25:50trees placed so that she could spin a
25:52web between them all to create the
25:54ultimate nest.
25:56The energy level was noticeably higher,
25:58and it was beginning to feel closer to
26:00the mana-rich atmosphere of the mage
26:02training areas than the open training
26:03fields where the warriors worked at the
26:05academy.
26:06Carl continued right until the sun
26:08touched the horizon and the golems
26:10kicked them all out, then went back to
26:12sit around the campfire, where the
26:14self-appointed cook was collecting
26:15ingredients for the evening meal.
26:18We're doing the beef stew packages
26:20today, if you could toss me yours.
26:23Their designated cook announced as Carl
26:25walked up.
26:26Yeah, give me a second. It's in the
26:28tent.
26:30The clerics had collected a number of
26:31herbs while they were out, as well as
26:33some edible roots when the group stopped
26:35outside the cave, so although they
26:37didn't have any rations with them, they
26:39could still contribute to the pot.
26:41The roots weren't very nutritious, but
26:43they were large, and they added volume
26:45to the meal, making it look even more
26:47impressive.
26:49The rations were supposed to be
26:50lightweight and easy to pack, but that
26:52meant calorie dense, not large and
26:54filling.
26:56They were just about to settle down with
26:57the pot full of rations heating when the
26:59cleric girl seemed to have a flash of
27:01inspiration, and she began mumbling a
27:03spell while glowing with soft golden
27:05light.
27:06Nobody dared to interrupt her.
27:09This was a world dragon temple, and she
27:11was a priestess.
27:13A trainee priestess without much power
27:15to speak of, but still a priestess of
27:17sorts.
27:19As her spell finished, she spread a
27:21cloth out in front of her, and a large
27:23golden orb began to form in the air in
27:25front of her hands.
27:27Then, it solidified, and a large ball of
27:30soft white grains fell to the ground,
27:32landing on the cloak that she had
27:33spread.
27:35I did it.
27:36I finally got the spell to work.
27:39That, my friends, is the sign of a true
27:41magical acolyte of the church.
27:44Blessing of nutrition.
27:46She declared in a tiny, quiet voice.
27:50It was rice.
27:51Nearly 5 kilos of it, Carl was certain.
27:55That was far more than they would be
27:57able to eat even in a few days, but Carl
27:59had seen this magic before.
28:01The priests who came to town to help the
28:03poor would use their magic to create a
28:05giant pot full of rice and beans that
28:07would feed hundreds.
28:09This was just the rice, but it was more
28:11than enough for today.
28:13Carl patted her on the back in
28:15congratulations, then scooped up a bit
28:17of the rice with the bowl that attached
28:19to the bottom half of his canteen.
28:21He poured a bit of water over the top
28:23and set it by the fire to cook,
28:25signaling the others to do the same.
28:27Good work.
28:29Now we don't need to worry about running
28:31out of food so quickly.
28:33Even an extra day or two here will be a
28:35great help to everyone's training.
28:38Carl congratulated her.
28:40The boy beside her looked both jealous
28:42and proud, as if he was envious of her
28:44achievement, but unable to hold a grudge
28:47over it.
28:48Instead of trying to copy her to show
28:50off, he began to pray and created a soft
28:52golden glow over them all that soothed
28:54aching muscles and minds.
28:57It wasn't a fully formed spell, but it
28:59was close enough to a minor healing
29:00spell to refresh the students and allow
29:02them to fully relax as they waited for
29:04their aching muscles and minds.
29:07It wasn't a fully formed spell, but it
29:09was close enough to a minor healing
29:11spell to refresh the dinner to be ready,
29:13now accompanied by a large portion of
29:15rice.
29:16How is everyone else doing?
29:18Is the training on the temple stairs
29:20giving you real results?
29:22Carl asked as his beasts finished their
29:24patrol around the camp and returned to
29:26the beast spaces.
29:28It is for the mages, for certain.
29:31The amount of mana that I can handle is
29:33up by nearly a quarter.
29:35But more importantly, I gained an
29:37insight into how to make it grow more
29:38quickly even after we leave.
29:41Dana agreed.
29:43The other mages nodded happily, as they
29:45had been sharing the trick with each
29:46other on the stairs all day,
29:49the warriors decided that flexing and
29:51posing would be more appropriate, though
29:53Carl couldn't tell if they were actually
29:54any more muscular than they had been a
29:56day ago.
29:57"I can't say for certain how much of a
29:59difference it is without something to
30:01test against, but I've made it four more
30:03steps today than I did yesterday.
30:06If this pace keeps up, then I think that
30:08I will be able to pass the awakened
30:09warrior exam after another week at the
30:11most."
30:13One of them explained.
30:15"All right.
30:16Enjoy your dinner. We will be headed
30:18back to train first thing in the
30:19morning.
30:21Make a plan. I doubt that we will get
30:23another chance like this again unless we
30:25can return here."
30:27Carl reminded them.
30:29The cleric girl shook her head.
30:31"This is a trial ground.
30:34Most of these can only be accessed at
30:36set intervals, or worse, once in a
30:38lifetime.
30:40After we leave, it could be a long time
30:42before anyone can use this place again,
30:44but I will make sure that the clergy
30:46marks it off as a protected holy relic
30:48so that nobody destroys the crystals
30:50that operate the entrance."
30:52That was what Carl was afraid of.
30:55There were other holy relics that opened
30:57only on certain holidays, and the serum
30:59could only be used once in a lifetime.
31:02But they had been able to use this one,
31:04and he was going to make the very best
31:05of it.
31:07So far, he had tested his willpower,
31:09which helped him grow the size of the
31:11beast space while meditating, and his
31:13mana control, which helped him improve
31:15the power of his beast space, so
31:17tomorrow he could either focus on the
31:19mana control, which needed the most
31:20help, or on his body, which was already
31:23strong and improved at a fraction of the
31:25rate that the pets were improving.
31:27The initial burst of power that he had
31:29gotten from the pets had been
31:30impressive, but after that, the feedback
31:33was limited and his growth was slow.
31:36He would need a lot of training to get
31:37physically powerful, but if he focused
31:39on the pets, his combat power would
31:41shoot up much faster and eventually drag
31:44his body along with it.
31:46The answer was made when the beasts
31:48settled into their improved homes.
31:50"Oh, this is nice.
31:52I can feel the power soothing my
31:54muscles.
31:56Whatever you did today, do it again."
31:58Ray commended him as she spun an
32:00expanded web between the new trees.
32:03"Yes, this is the right improvement.
32:06I can feel myself getting more
32:08powerful."
32:09Hawk agreed.
32:11The two of them waited for Thor to say
32:13something, but he was staring in wonder
32:15at one of the stone pillars.
32:17"Did you make a smashing pillar for me?
32:20You are too kind."
32:22He was nearly tearful with joy over the
32:24addition of the pillars, and the other
32:26two beasts immediately discounted
32:28anything else he said for the evening.
32:30Like giving Hawk an extra rare species
32:32of meat, the lightning serow had been
32:34bribed with the thing he wanted most,
32:36and his opinion was unreliable.
32:39Carl considered their answers for a
32:41moment and then replied,
32:43"All right, I will go back to the mana
32:45training tomorrow and see how much I can
32:47improve the spaces for you all.
32:49After all, the faster you grow strong,
32:52the faster I grow strong in return."
32:55A good night's sleep brought about some
32:57notable changes to the trio.
32:59Not so much to Hawk, but Thor was a full
33:02hand taller than he had been yesterday,
33:04enough that it was immediately
33:05noticeable to everyone when he came out
33:07for some attention in the morning, but
33:09Ray was the one who caught everyone's
33:10attention.
33:12She was not only larger, but the armored
33:14chitin on her legs was beginning to turn
33:16the deep crimson that helped to give the
33:17bloodbath spider its name.
33:20As they grew older and more powerful,
33:22the red would spread up from the claws
33:24until her entire legs and portions of
33:26her black underbelly were deep crimson,
33:28as if she had been standing in a pool of
33:29blood.
33:31She wouldn't lose the short black fur on
33:33her body, but the carapace underneath
33:35would change color as a warning to
33:36others that she was not to be trifled
33:38with and no longer needed to hide in the
33:40darkness.
33:42Carl hadn't expected it to begin so
33:44early, as she wasn't even fully grown
33:46yet.
33:47The training must have been good for
33:49her, not discriminating against users,
33:51even if they were not human.
33:53"Ray is looking really powerful.
33:56I didn't know that spiders got that
33:58big."
33:59One of the warriors noted.
34:01"That's not even half grown for a
34:03bloodbath spider.
34:05When she's full grown, she will be able
34:07to grab and flip an armored car with her
34:09legs.
34:10They're scary enough that even the team
34:12that took me to the wilderness to find
34:14new pets didn't want to meet the adult
34:15version.
34:17I got Ray here as an egg."
34:21Carl explained.
34:24The warrior wasn't quite sure he
34:25believed Carl's bragging, but that
34:27spider was huge, and if it was still
34:29growing, it
34:31All the ones here had met Ray and knew
34:33that she was friendly, but if she crept
34:35up on them in the dark, they would still
34:37freak out.
34:39Carl returned to the mana enhancement
34:41stairs and slowly made his way to the
34:43fourth and then the fifth stair to begin
34:45his training.
34:46That shocked the mages a little, as they
34:49had all expected him to go work with the
34:50warriors today to complete the rotation,
34:53but with two of the three pets there
34:54already, Carl was more concerned about
34:56making sure that their homes could keep
34:58up with them.
34:59That day, the progress up the stairs
35:02began to really increase for Carl.
35:04He was getting the hang of pulling
35:06energy in from the outside to feed the
35:08beast space, whereas before he was only
35:10converting food to energy to build them.
35:13With him starting at rock bottom, he had
35:15nowhere to go but up, and by the end of
35:17the day, he had moved from the fifth
35:19step up to the 10th, where the pressure
35:21was immense on him, but he could still
35:23effectively channel more power than the
35:25step before.
35:27That was enough to get ahead of their
35:28growth needs, and the beast spaces were
35:30actually starting to look like islands
35:32in the void.
35:34There was no real sky or anything like
35:36it other than a few fake stars Carl had
35:38put in Ray's darkened space to simulate
35:40night time, but they had a fair amount
35:42of land after two days of training on
35:44the stairs.
35:45But compared to Carl's internal
35:47improvements, the others were beginning
35:49to show real signs of the gains that
35:51they had made here.
35:53Both of the clerics' eyes shone with a
35:54faint golden light, the mages were all
35:57filled to the brim with power, and the
35:59warriors were becoming the toned and
36:00muscular elites that they had dreamed of
36:02being since they found out that they
36:03were compatible with the serum.
36:06They were well into the afternoon, and
36:08everyone was exhausted and ready to turn
36:10in when the golems made an announcement.
36:12Speaking in unison, their magical voices
36:15reached every one of the students.
36:17"You now have 24 hours remaining in your
36:20trial.
36:21Choose your last day's event wisely."
36:24Those words sent a wave of panic through
36:26the group.
36:27They had no idea that there was a
36:29four-day time limit on the trials.
36:32Many of them had intended to try to push
36:34through to the awakened rank, then spend
36:36a few days checking on the other sides
36:38just in case they could gain something
36:39important from them.
36:41Carl didn't have any particular regrets.
36:44His body was already stronger than his
36:46mind, so testing his willpower and mana
36:49made the most sense.
36:50The question was, what would he do for
36:53the last day?
36:54He could balance it out and go for the
36:56willpower side again, but something told
36:59him that the neglected stairs, the
37:00random gamble that was the fate
37:02challenge, was going to be much more
37:03entertaining.
37:05It might only be good for a story around
37:07a campfire, but all of them should have
37:09some sort of affinity with fate since
37:11they all passed the trial of the divine
37:13serum and proved themselves compatible.
37:16That settled it.
37:18He had gained what he needed from the
37:19stairs.
37:21He learned how to more effectively
37:22expand the beast spaces, and he could
37:24ask Ray and Thor about the effectiveness
37:26of the body training.
37:28So, he would take a chance on the final
37:31day, and he would go for the fate stairs
37:33to see what would happen.
37:35The next morning, the team realized that
37:37they might not have been as prepared as
37:38they thought that they were.
37:40They had only packed a week's worth of
37:42rations, which were now over half gone,
37:45and they were almost out of the berries
37:46for the oatmeal flavoring, which would
37:48leave them with just the dehydrated bits
37:50that came in the ration pack.
37:52They didn't have to worry about
37:53starvation anytime soon with the clerics
37:56available, but the variety of their diet
37:58would soon begin to disappear if they
38:00spent too long in the woods before
38:01returning to the train tracks.
38:04But with the time limit imposed by the
38:05trials, they would be outside today, and
38:08once the cleric trainees had properly
38:10marked the spot on their maps as a holy
38:12relic, they could be on their way to
38:14give the news of their trip to the
38:15church.
38:16Before he went to the fate stairs, Carl
38:19stopped next to one of the golems hoping
38:21that it would answer a question for him.
38:24"Excuse me, do you know how often this
38:26trial can be accessed?"
38:28He inquired politely with the assumption
38:30that a bit of courtesy might get the
38:32magical construct to answer.
38:34"The trials open at the wheel of the
38:36world dragon."
38:37Carl bowed and stepped away, then
38:40focused on being sent to the fate
38:41stairs.
38:43The answer he got was both informative
38:45and useless at the same time.
38:47If it opened at the wheel of the golden
38:49dragon god, the world dragon as it was
38:51sometimes known, then there was no way
38:53that he could predict the next opening
38:55date for anyone who asked.
38:57But what he could confirm was that it
38:59would open again at some point.
39:01If the church kept a close watch on this
39:03place, they would probably be able to
39:05tell when it would open.
39:07The fate stairs were different from any
39:09of the other sides.
39:11They were cloaked in thick black
39:12shadows, which made Ray immediately
39:14regret going back to strength training.
39:17That darkness looked wonderful to her,
39:19but Carl suspected that it had some
39:21other purpose.
39:22It was likely something along the lines
39:24of everyone's fate is their own, so you
39:26could only see your own path forward,
39:28and everything else was shadowed, but it
39:30could also be intended to change if you
39:32stepped away from the path you were on.
39:34Could that be what it was meant to do?
39:37Show you ways to change your fate
39:39through the decisions that you made?
39:41There were oracles among the elites,
39:43blind seers of the future, and their
39:45visions were uncannily accurate.
39:48This could be the same sort of magic,
39:50but built into a massive temple to show
39:52more than just a glimpse of the possible
39:53futures.
39:55One step forward brought him onto the
39:57first stair, and Carl looked upward,
39:59seeing visions of first power and glory,
40:02then tragedy in front of him.
40:04But to his left and right on the second
40:06step were misty figures of himself.
40:09Instinctively, he knew that he could
40:11step up toward one of them and see what
40:12changes would be made if he changed the
40:14first major event along this timeline.
40:17From what he could see, he returned to
40:19the academy and claimed credit for
40:21leading the team that found a holy
40:22relic.
40:24It would make him a darling of the
40:25church and the media.
40:27His fame would rise even faster than his
40:29power would, but after some time, that
40:32fame would fade, and the lingering
40:34resentment of those who had lived in his
40:35shadow would leave him alone in the
40:37world, discarded by those he had left
40:39behind.
40:40Both of the options would reject that
40:42next step, but neither were clear to
40:44him.
40:45Carl's first thought was to step to the
40:47left, but he found that he could only
40:49move forward unless some condition was
40:50set.
40:52Perhaps he needed to make a choice.
40:54If he decided not to claim the find, but
40:57instead attributed it to the group, the
40:59glory would be shared between all of
41:00them and the clerics.
41:02He thought that he could also imply that
41:04it was the presence of the future
41:06servants of the golden dragon that
41:07caused the trials to activate, but then
41:09how could he explain that he knew it was
41:11all at the will of the gods, or keep
41:13them from ending up in that same
41:14discarded and shunned state he saw for
41:16himself?
41:17It was better to put it all down to
41:19chance.
41:21They had been the first ones here after
41:22the world dragon had willed that the
41:24trials be opened, so they were pulled
41:26in.
41:27Glory to the world dragon and all that
41:29pious sentiment.
41:31Yes, that seemed best.
41:33Carl saw the path to the right begin to
41:35become a bit more clear, and resolved to
41:38make that the reality.
41:40He would instruct the others and say
41:41that he had seen a vision on the fate
41:43stairs instructing him to give glory to
41:45the world dragon.
41:47Few would argue with that, and those in
41:49power would be more inclined to listen.
41:52Carl stepped up to the right, and a new
41:54future path became clearer in front of
41:56him.
41:57In this one, the 10 members of the team
41:59all became much stronger and began to
42:01surpass the average, becoming notable
42:04among the elites of the academy.
42:06His mind began to spin as the visions of
42:0810 different people's futures were
42:10slowly played out in front of him, and
42:12Carl saw the impact that a single
42:14decision could have on the futures of
42:15everyone around him.
42:17He didn't see any horrible endings for
42:19them. They would all end up with some
42:21level of success and recognition, while
42:23their two clerics would become pillars
42:25of the church.
42:26The pillars were those in favor of the
42:28gods, who could use holy magic at royal
42:31rank or higher.
42:33Each of them would gain a boon from
42:34their chosen deity, a special spell that
42:36only they could use.
42:38From what Carl remembered, the current
42:40head of the church naturally followed
42:42the world dragon and was granted the
42:44boon of rebirth.
42:46He could bring the dead back to life
42:48with some limitations.
42:50What those limits were, Carl didn't
42:52know, but there was video footage of him
42:54resurrecting a murdered cleric after an
42:56attack on one of the churches near the
42:57border.
42:59Every student in the golden dragon
43:00nation had seen that footage in primary
43:02school.
43:04With such bright futures for everyone in
43:06the vision, Carl took a step forward and
43:08found himself somewhere entirely
43:09different.
43:11He was still on a staircase, but one
43:13with no start and no ending point.
43:16It simply floated in a sea of stars, and
43:18a sense of power and timelessness
43:20surrounded him.
43:22The first trial must have been to choose
43:24a path for your immediate future.
43:26Once you found a decision that you were
43:28content with or intended to follow
43:30through, the vision ended.
43:32But this place didn't have any
43:33instructions.
43:35He could go up or down endlessly. It
43:37didn't seem to matter which he chose,
43:39though upward was generally seen as the
43:41correct way.
43:43You should strive to work hard and move
43:45beyond, up the social ranks, increasing
43:47in reputation. Up was used to signify
43:50all things beneficial.
43:52But down seemed so much easier.
43:55If he were going to travel indefinitely,
43:57he could certainly make it further going
43:59down than up.
44:00His strength and willpower would last
44:02longer, and he would see so much more if
44:04it were going to give him visions or
44:06rewards.
44:07Then an absolutely insane notion came to
44:10mind.
44:11This was just a staircase floating in a
44:13nothingness.
44:15The mental spaces where he kept Hawk and
44:16the others began as an empty void as
44:18well.
44:20If he simply stepped off the side, what
44:22would happen?
44:23Could he continue walking as he wished?
44:26Would he fall endlessly?
44:28The curiosity was egging him on,
44:30encouraging him to do something wild,
44:32just because he didn't know and couldn't
44:34know what would happen.
44:36As he considered it, Carl felt a sense
44:38of curiosity and amusement flow into the
44:40space.
44:42Not his own, but as if there were
44:43someone or something watching him.
44:46Someone who could read his thoughts.
44:48A little help here.
44:50What way is the right way?
44:52Carl called into the nothingness.
44:55For nearly a minute, nothing happened,
44:57though the sense of amusement remained.
45:00Then the whisper of a man's voice filled
45:02the space.
45:04There is no right way.
45:06There is definitely a wrong way.
45:09But there is only your way.
45:11It spoke.
45:12Damn it.
45:14He was terrible at riddles and brain
45:16teaser type problems.
45:18There was no right way, only his way,
45:20but there was a wrong way for it to be
45:22his way.
45:23Or his way was destined to be the wrong
45:25way.
45:26Jumping off the side of the staircase
45:28was beginning to look like a better
45:30option than trying to figure out what
45:31way was the best, and that feeling was
45:33increasing by the second.
45:35Carl took the ration pack spoon out of
45:37his pocket and began to flip it in his
45:39hand as he considered his options.
45:42Over and over it flipped, then Carl
45:44noticed something odd.
45:46The more he focused on the spoon, the
45:48slower it spun, as if gravity stopped
45:50working correctly because Carl was
45:52focused on the spoon being where it was.
45:55That gave Carl an idea.
45:58He would go up.
45:59Not up the stairs, but straight up into
46:01the air.
46:03So, he crouched and gathered his
46:05strength, then jumped, flying high above
46:07the staircase for one brief glorious
46:09moment, seeing the staircase fade into
46:11the distance beneath him as if he were a
46:13god himself floating through the
46:15universe.
46:17Before landing exactly where he started.
46:20Not very bright, is he?
46:22Carl heard a second voice ask.
46:25But entertaining.
46:27The first whispered, and then Carl was
46:29back in the grass next to the campsite.
46:32Carl looked around the campsite and
46:34realized that it was mid-afternoon.
46:36Over 6 hours had passed since he left,
46:39though it only felt like a few minutes
46:40in his mind.
46:42He went to move toward the fire, where
46:44there should be some fresh skewers to
46:45cook meat for lunch, and nearly tripped
46:48over a small golden chest at his feet.
46:51That wasn't anything that he had seen
46:52before, but the moment he touched it,
46:54the chest vanished from his hands, and a
46:57burst of knowledge entered his mind.
46:59Taming ability, skill master, increases
47:02the chance of a beast learning new
47:04skills when actively used during
47:05training.
47:07Was that what his class was supposed to
47:08be?
47:10He wasn't just collecting the beasts and
47:12creating a place for them to grow
47:13strong. He was supposed to be teaching
47:15them new skills as well.
47:17Was that even possible without the help
47:19of the skill books?
47:21They were a powerful magical item, and
47:23it had taken the inscriptionist group
47:25nearly a decade to learn how to make
47:26them, but this new ability Carl had been
47:28rewarded with seemed like he would be
47:30able to teach them new magical abilities
47:32at will.
47:33Hawk had been able to use wind shield,
47:36so if it was the right element, they
47:38might even be able to learn magical
47:39spells.
47:41There was more to the knowledge than
47:42just the title, and as Carl focused on
47:44the skill, he began to understand the
47:46way that it should be used.
47:49With the skill active and the beast
47:50watching the ability that you wanted
47:52them to learn, as well as some related
47:54resources as needed to increase their
47:56compatibility, he should be able to
47:57teach them to use an incredible variety
47:59of new skills.
48:01They lived at the academy. There should
48:03be all sorts of skills available to
48:05watch on any given day.
48:07He might even be able to teach his pets
48:09some of the skills that the others
48:10already knew.
48:12Carl brought up Thor's lightning barrier
48:14around himself to help clear and focus
48:16his mind, as well as recover from the
48:18strain of the previous day's trials and
48:20three nights sleeping on the ground.
48:23If he could teach this to Ray, how much
48:25more dangerous would she become?
48:27Or Shred?
48:29If she could learn that ability, she
48:31would absolutely annihilate anything
48:33that she attacked.
48:34The real question was if she would be
48:36compatible with either of them.
48:38Carl couldn't see Thor being capable of
48:40using offensive adaptation or rend
48:42without some major attunement, or Hawk
48:45using refreshing lightning as he needed
48:47the delicate adjustments of airflow over
48:48his wings to fly.
48:50But Ray might be able to use some new
48:52attack abilities, or possibly even fog
48:55or a stealth skill, as her body
48:57coloration would naturally adapt to her
48:59surroundings.
49:01Just thinking about the possibilities
49:03was getting Carl excited, and the beasts
49:05weren't even finished their daily
49:06training for him to try anything.
49:09So, he passed some time meditating and
49:11improving the beast spaces while he
49:13wasn't on the stairs, giving himself a
49:15chance to compare the two training
49:17environments.
49:18The difference was depressingly obvious.
49:21Though he had learned the technique to
49:23improve both the size and quality of the
49:25space while he was in the trial, his
49:27actual effectiveness at it when he was
49:28not partaking in the trial was less than
49:30a tenth as high.
49:32It would take him a month to get as much
49:34gain as he did in two days on the mana
49:36training stairs.
49:38But compared to before he had learned
49:39and refined the techniques here, it was
49:41still much faster.
49:43That one month, which would feel so long
49:45after being on the stairs, was still
49:47equal to an entire semester or longer
49:49before they had gotten this opportunity.
49:52So, there was no denying that this holy
49:54relic was a massive improvement for
49:56anyone lucky enough to have been able to
49:58enter, or that the change would have
49:59lasting benefits that could help them
50:01through their entire life.
50:03As the sun got closer to the horizon,
50:06the other students began to tire of
50:07their training and prepare to head back
50:10for the night.
50:11They had gotten an incredible amount
50:13from the holy relic so far, and most of
50:15them were only staying until the day
50:17ended out of general principle.
50:19So, when the first one to come back
50:21early arrived, he wasn't expecting to
50:23see Carl sitting by the fire, and he
50:25certainly wasn't expecting the small
50:27silver box that appeared in his hands.
50:30What is this?
50:32He asked nobody in particular.
50:34Try opening it.
50:36I got a gift for mine.
50:38Carl replied, eager to find out what the
50:40others would be rewarded with.
50:43The warrior pressed the latch and the
50:45lid popped open, then the small chest
50:47vanished, and a large flaming sword
50:49appeared in his hands.
50:51This is wow.
50:53Carl nodded in agreement.
50:56That is pretty astonishing.
50:58I don't know what you're going to do
50:59about the safety measures needed to
51:01carry a giant flaming sword everywhere,
51:03though.
51:04The boy smiled and the sword vanished.
51:08The chest says that it is bonded to me.
51:10I can use it at will and dismiss it when
51:12it is not in use.
51:14That will be so useful later, being able
51:16to have a blade in reserve on occasions
51:18when carrying a weapon is forbidden.
51:21You've got a point.
51:22Especially after you graduate and take
51:24up a job of some sort.
51:27If you're in an office somewhere, you're
51:28not going to be able to keep weapons
51:30handy all the time, and if you get an
51:32emergency call, it would take quite a
51:34while to go to your car or run to the
51:36nearest armory to get them.
51:38Plus, it's a giant flaming sword.
51:41How cool is that?
51:43Carl agreed.
51:45A few minutes later, another student
51:47came back, one of the mages, and she was
51:49clearly nursing a sore head.
51:52She must have overexerted herself in the
51:54rush to get a gain before the trial
51:55ended and had to leave early.
51:58She tripped over the small silver box in
52:00front of her, as Carl nearly had with
52:02his golden one, and landed on the ground
52:05holding her head.
52:06The warrior was only a few steps away,
52:08not quite fast enough to catch her, but
52:11he was there a split second after.
52:13Are you all right?
52:15You tripped over the reward from the
52:16trial.
52:18Pick it up and open it when your head
52:20feels better.
52:21The boy told her, eager to see what she
52:23would get.
52:24If he got a sword, then the mages might
52:27get a spell or a wand or something
52:29equally amazing.
52:31It took her a few minutes to recover,
52:33but she picked up the box with curious
52:34reverence, as if it might crumble in her
52:36hands, but she simply had to see what
52:39was in it.
52:40The box was tiny and nearly fit in the
52:42palm of one hand, but when she opened
52:44it, a large book appeared in its place.
52:48For a few seconds, she was silent,
52:50likely listening to the trial inform her
52:52of what she had been granted, and then
52:54she began to squeal and dance around
52:56happily.
52:57I got a spell book.
52:59An actual spell book.
53:01She cheered as she dismissed the book
53:03and pulled the warrior into a swinging
53:05happy dance.
53:07That is remarkable.
53:09So, you can just cast all those spells
53:11by looking at the book.
53:13He asked.
53:14Even better.
53:16I can just cast all those spells because
53:18I know them now.
53:20But if I hold the book, I get a bonus to
53:22my magical damage and mana recovery
53:24rate.
53:25She explained.
53:27Then the influx of students began as the
53:30trial forced them all from the stairs as
53:32the sun went down.
53:34You will be ejected from this space in
53:3512 hours.
53:37The trial is now complete.
53:40The crystal golems announced while all
53:42the students were still staring in
53:43wonder at the small boxes in their
53:45hands.
53:46Some looked like jewelry boxes, some
53:49were small treasure chests, and a few of
53:51them seemed to be poorly wrapped holiday
53:53presents.
53:54There was likely some method to the
53:56madness, Carl assumed.
53:58Then he noticed the colors.
54:01Almost all of them were silver, but
54:03Dana's was a small gold chest as his had
54:05been, and the worst wrapped of the lot
54:07were all in bronze paper.
54:09It might be based on their
54:10accomplishment while here in the trial,
54:12as Carl and Dana were the most advanced
54:14and best prepared to begin with, but
54:16Carl suspected that it had something to
54:18do with their power levels, or some
54:20outstanding student who had been a bit
54:22slow at the start of the school year
54:23likely would have gotten a gold box as
54:25well.
54:26The quality of the reward was also
54:28directly linked to the quality of the
54:30package.
54:31Not that any of them were useless or
54:33anything less than a priceless treasure,
54:35but there was definitely bias being
54:37shown in the rewarding process.
54:39The items that came from the bronze
54:41wrapping paper were mostly trinkets and
54:43pieces of jewelry that would help with
54:45growth or strength.
54:47But the items from the silver category
54:49were more practical.
54:51They included mostly weapons, the mage's
54:53spell book, and in one case a scroll
54:55that would let the user pick one new
54:57combat skill from a set list.
54:59But Carl had gotten a rather incredible
55:01new class skill that would let him
55:03easily teach the beasts new skills, and
55:05Dana had gotten a new combination attack
55:07and defense spell that nobody had ever
55:09heard of before.
55:11Nullification barrier simply dispersed
55:13anything that touched it.
55:15It didn't matter if it was a magical
55:17attack or a stick that the warrior
55:19swung, it simply lost all energy and
55:21stopped when it hit the barrier.
55:24The offensive use of the spell,
55:25nullification blade, surrounded a weapon
55:28and would cut through anything that they
55:30could find with ease, even the other
55:31mages' shields.
55:33Nobody was willing to try with a magical
55:35item for fear that it would be
55:37disenchanted, but the barrier appeared
55:39to be much stronger than the usual ones
55:41they trained with.
55:43If it had come from a skill book, she
55:45would have been fabulously wealthy
55:46beyond her wildest dreams, but the
55:48golden chest simply taught her the skill
55:50the same as it had taught Carl.
55:53Both were what the academy would call
55:54tier three skills.
55:57Not the basics or the advanced versions
55:59of the basics, but something that was
56:01entirely new and on another power level.
56:04They were incredibly rare and often
56:06unique in the world, with only one elite
56:08having ever learned them.
56:10But more than that, they had a growth
56:12rate that scaled proportionately to
56:14their advantage.
56:16If they were twice as deadly as normal
56:18skills at awakened rank, they would be
56:20twice as deadly as other spells when you
56:22were at ascended and commander rank as
56:23well.
56:25They were simply superior in all ways.
56:28Carl's was mostly only relevant to
56:30himself, but it didn't specify that the
56:32animals had to be bonded to him, and
56:34that was something that he wanted to
56:35test.
56:36Druid, sorry, I forgot your name.
56:39Do you have a bonded animal?
56:42Carl asked.
56:43Not yet.
56:45Most druids get the ability, but I'm
56:47still at level three, according to the
56:49way that druids see their progression,
56:51and I don't have that ability yet.
56:53My healing got much better while I was
56:55here, though, and I learned to use an
56:57area heal spell while training on the
56:59stairs.
57:01The druid replied.
57:03What did you get from the box?
57:05Carl asked.
57:07A staff.
57:08It vanishes when I want it to, and it
57:10applies its additional magic damage even
57:13when I am wild shaped.
57:15He explained.
57:17Oh, you're a transformation type druid.
57:20Never mind.
57:21I was thinking about trying to teach a
57:23druid spirit animal a new trick when we
57:25get back to test out the reward I got.
57:28Carl explained.
57:30That made the others curious.
57:32Carl had returned first, so none of them
57:35had seen what he had gotten, and so far,
57:37he hadn't spoken of it.
57:39But if it was a transferable power, a
57:41skill that he could teach others,
57:43wouldn't that just be too powerful?
57:46If he left to join the army, he could
57:48teach his whole unit that power, which
57:50the team assumed should be at the
57:51ascended rank, since the item type
57:53rewards everyone got were generally a
57:55rank above themselves.
57:57The thought that it might be a tier
57:58three skill that would scale with his
58:00growth, and not simply a more powerful
58:02normal skill, never crossed their minds.
58:06We have some time before we are ejected,
58:08so get some sleep after you eat.
58:11We will get up early to pack our gear
58:12before we are pushed out, and then we
58:14can finish the mission and find the
58:16other plants that we came here for.
58:18Carl decided.
58:20Wait, we're still doing the mission?
58:23Even after we found a holy relic and got
58:25all these rewards, we are still going to
58:27get the plants?
58:29One of the warriors asked.
58:31Do you not need them anymore?
58:33Will they not be effective on you now
58:35that you've gained some power?
58:37Carl asked.
58:39The warrior looked sheepish and his
58:41friends consoled him.
58:43Technically, it looked more like
58:44mockery, but what were friends for?
58:47See, we will finish the mission and then
58:50make sure that our new friends from the
58:51church make it safely to the train with
58:53us.
58:54Now that we found the holy relic, it is
58:56not just about getting them back safely,
58:59but they need to properly relay to their
59:00superiors the information that we have
59:02gathered about this place so that it is
59:04protected and not disturbed before the
59:05next time that it decides to let a group
59:07in.
59:09Carl explained.
59:10The cleric students nodded rapidly.
59:13They will likely want this to be kept
59:15all hush-hush.
59:17You know how it is with holy relics.
59:20If we talk about finding it, then any
59:22elite could look up our mission
59:23information and find the general area
59:25that it is in to come here and try to
59:27exploit or destroy it.
59:29That was something that Carl hadn't
59:31considered.
59:33The church did good things for the poor,
59:35and they had the best healing magic, but
59:37not everyone was a big fan of theirs,
59:39partially because of the power that they
59:41had.
59:42Carl didn't watch the news often, but
59:44there was always someone mad about
59:46something that someone else did.
59:48It was an undeniable fact, and the
59:50church inevitably got caught up in
59:52arguments when their programs conflicted
59:54with someone else's.
59:56The students all seemed to be in
59:57agreement, and as Carl brought out a bit
59:59more of the awakened rank boar meat for
1:00:01their final dinner here, the talk turned
1:00:03to what they might find at the other
1:00:04herb sites.
1:00:06So far, they had found two spots that
1:00:08weren't on the map, an ascended beetle,
1:00:11a holy relic, and two refugee clerics.
1:00:14If they kept up at this rate, they might
1:00:16find the lost city of knowledge, one of
1:00:18the students suggested.
1:00:20The thought of that was hilarious.
1:00:23The city of knowledge was just a legend
1:00:25from mythology, and it was supposed to
1:00:27be where the young world dragon learned
1:00:29the power to travel between worlds to
1:00:30find a new home to protect.
1:00:33But the world dragon and its offspring
1:00:35were immortal, and given the nature of
1:00:37the legend, the city of knowledge
1:00:38probably wasn't even on this planet.
1:00:41Not that it had stopped generations of
1:00:43treasure hunters from going looking for
1:00:45it.
1:00:46The final meal was a larger one than
1:00:48usual, as everyone who had gathered food
1:00:50donated a bit extra for the celebration,
1:00:52and they made a massive pitcher of punch
1:00:54out of all the energy drink pouches that
1:00:56they hadn't been using.
1:00:58The plans to sleep early had gone right
1:01:00out of everyone's mind, and when the
1:01:02ever vigilant golems warned them that
1:01:03they had 1 hour left before being
1:01:05ejected, they were all still sound
1:01:07asleep.
1:01:08Everyone up and get packed.
1:01:11We don't want to end up leaving half our
1:01:12gear here, unless you all fancy sharing
1:01:15tents for the rest of the journey.
1:01:17Carl warned them all.
1:01:19That got them up and moving.
1:01:21The boys all knew that the girls
1:01:23wouldn't want to share with them, and
1:01:24Carl was right about them not wanting to
1:01:26cuddle with each other in a tiny tent
1:01:28with a single sleeping bag.
1:01:31Breakfast was delayed, but they all got
1:01:33their gear packed in the next half hour,
1:01:35though it was quite disorganized, and
1:01:37most of it would need to be repacked
1:01:38before they went anywhere.
1:01:40Everyone, shoulder your packs and make
1:01:42sure there is nothing left on the
1:01:44ground, no signs that we were here at
1:01:46all.
1:01:47Carl added.
1:01:49That took a few more minutes while they
1:01:51adjusted their packs enough that they
1:01:52could be worn properly without gear
1:01:54falling out, but once they were settled,
1:01:56Carl called out to the golem.
1:01:59Sir golem, we are finished and packed.
1:02:01Will you please send us back out?
1:02:04He requested.
1:02:05Instantly, he was standing outside the
1:02:07entrance to the cave, along with the
1:02:09other 11 members of their team.
1:02:12All right, clerics, take two warriors
1:02:14and one of the golems as an escort and
1:02:16mark the entrance of the holy relic,
1:02:18then we can get going.
1:02:20The clerics returned a minute later with
1:02:22concerned looks.
1:02:24The end of the tunnel is gone.
1:02:26Everything past the first chamber looks
1:02:28like solid rock. The whole tunnel is
1:02:31hidden.
1:02:32We marked it as the entrance of a holy
1:02:34relic, but I'm not sure that anyone will
1:02:36believe us if they can't see the
1:02:37crystals.
1:02:39The male cleric informed Carl.
1:02:41That's fine.
1:02:43When it opens again, there will be no
1:02:45doubt that it leads to the holy relic.
1:02:48Perhaps it's better this way.
1:02:50Anyone else who stumbles across it will
1:02:52be trying to get a portal to open on the
1:02:54wall, while only those who should know
1:02:56will understand that the tunnel will
1:02:57appear when it is ready.
1:02:59Carl replied.
1:03:01The students started to repack their
1:03:03gear into the best approximation of its
1:03:05original state, helping those who just
1:03:07weren't getting it, until they were all
1:03:09ready to move again.
1:03:10Having been in the same spot for a few
1:03:12days gave them some backpack space
1:03:14again, thanks to the rations that were
1:03:16used up.
1:03:17That would give them a bit more space
1:03:19for more resources to bring back, but
1:03:21they had already gained far more than
1:03:23they expected, even just measuring by
1:03:25the actual plants that the team had
1:03:27harvested.
1:03:28Normally, you would only find a few
1:03:30flowers or a small patch of moss, not
1:03:33entire trees and fields worth of them.
1:03:36That led to many arguments in the
1:03:37student groups if they hadn't worked out
1:03:39a proper rotation for who got the
1:03:41resources, instead of having enough for
1:03:43everyone to split what was available.
1:03:46The next one is straight east of here by
1:03:4710 km.
1:03:49I will send Hawk up to scout, but be
1:03:51prepared for a long walk.
1:03:54Carl warned the group as they set off.
1:03:57Through the woods, 10 km was going to
1:03:59take them half the day, but there was
1:04:01always the chance that Hawk would find
1:04:03something along the way.
1:04:05Do you think that the abundance of
1:04:06resources we found was because the holy
1:04:08relic was about to open?
1:04:10I mean, it should give off lots of
1:04:12power, right?
1:04:14So it might be the reason that there are
1:04:16so many resources in this area.
1:04:18Dana suggested.
1:04:20So, you're saying to forget the map and
1:04:23look around the cave for more good
1:04:24stuff.
1:04:25Everyone, what do you think of that?
1:04:28Do you mind staying in the area for a
1:04:30day or two in case there are more plants
1:04:32for us to find?
1:04:34Carl asked.
1:04:36They were the leaders, but the other
1:04:37eight were the ones who had actually
1:04:39planned the mission.
1:04:41The resources were mostly for them and
1:04:43had been expected to be a level below
1:04:44what Carl and Dana would need.
1:04:47Most team leaders would add a mission
1:04:49point of their own to the trip if
1:04:50possible. If not, they would do it just
1:04:53for the academy credits and the time
1:04:54away from the regular training schedule.
1:04:57That was the important part to a lot of
1:04:59them.
1:05:00Getting to go out and explore on their
1:05:02own was much more relaxing than being in
1:05:04class, and the missions picked by the
1:05:06first-year students were rarely
1:05:07dangerous.
1:05:09Even the ascended rank beetle, which had
1:05:10been mauled by their team, was an
1:05:12outlier.
1:05:13The mission report hadn't expected
1:05:15anything that dangerous in the area.
1:05:18Hawk, circle the area.
1:05:20Any magical plants or other interesting
1:05:22things you see, let me know and we will
1:05:24go explore it.
1:05:26Even if it doesn't seem too useful, it's
1:05:28still a resource.
1:05:30Hawk turned to circle around the cave in
1:05:32increasingly large circles for the next
1:05:3410 minutes until he found something of
1:05:36interest.
1:05:37There are shiny rocks over here.
1:05:40The mages like shiny rocks.
1:05:43Hawk offered, as if he wasn't quite sure
1:05:45what to look for if it wasn't food or a
1:05:47resource he had seen a picture of.
1:05:50That is good.
1:05:51I have shown you all the resources on
1:05:53the list, and if there are any that you
1:05:55have seen on the balcony or in the
1:05:57botany books, you can tell me about
1:05:58those, too.
1:06:00Carl suggested.
1:06:02He focused on Hawk's location for a
1:06:04moment, and then turned to face it.
1:06:07Hawk has found a possible magical
1:06:09crystal source.
1:06:10We will go there and see what it is.
1:06:13He informed the others.
1:06:16Dana smirked at the other mages.
1:06:1810 minutes outside the cave, and they
1:06:20were already on their way to even more
1:06:22resources.
1:06:24It was a short walk, with everyone
1:06:26keeping their eyes open for more hidden
1:06:27magical plants and any signs of threats
1:06:30that might have come looking for them.
1:06:32After the incident with the beetle, and
1:06:34then the holy relic, they had realized
1:06:36that they wouldn't be the only ones
1:06:37drawn to the magical resources in the
1:06:39area.
1:06:41Monsters would be as well, and that
1:06:42meant they would have to compete for
1:06:44what they could get.
1:06:45As they walked, Ray darted out and
1:06:47grabbed a small vine from up in a tree
1:06:49to bring back into her beast space.
1:06:52Carl wondered just what the limitations
1:06:54were on that.
1:06:56Vines, meat, branches, leaves.
1:07:00Those could all be brought in, but he
1:07:01couldn't put his backpack or textbooks
1:07:03in there.
1:07:05Clearly, it wasn't that they were a
1:07:06physical item that was the issue, so it
1:07:08must be that they weren't a resource for
1:07:10the pets.
1:07:12As they approached the point that Hawk
1:07:13had marked, the clerics started to get a
1:07:15strange look on their faces, and the
1:07:17mages were getting really excited, while
1:07:19the warriors wondered why.
1:07:22Then they stepped over a small ridge and
1:07:24saw the situation.
1:07:26There was a large pond with small
1:07:27glowing yellow stones at the bottom.
1:07:30Even the warriors could feel the magic
1:07:32now that they were this close, and the
1:07:34cleric girl looked like she was going to
1:07:35faint.
1:07:37Her legs gave out after one more step,
1:07:39and Carl caught her in his arms.
1:07:42Her partner pointed at the pond with a
1:07:44shaky hand.
1:07:46Those are holy mana stones.
1:07:48He mumbled.
1:07:50Dana looked at him, then did a double
1:07:52take at the pond.
1:07:54There had to be a hundred of the stones
1:07:55in the lake, and each of them was an
1:07:57awakened rank resource.
1:07:59They were to mages what the strength
1:08:01stones were to the warriors, only
1:08:03infinitely more rare.
1:08:05They wouldn't be crushed to dust and
1:08:07ingested, as they were impossible to
1:08:09replace without an especially powerful
1:08:11high priest. Instead, they would be kept
1:08:13in a locket or other safe place, and the
1:08:15user would draw on their power as they
1:08:16meditated.
1:08:18Even just having one was a huge status
1:08:20symbol among the clerics, to the point
1:08:22that priests would wear them outside
1:08:24their robes when visiting important
1:08:25people or hosting nobility, just to
1:08:27prove their favored status.
1:08:30They also apparently couldn't be stolen.
1:08:33They decided who was able to use them,
1:08:35and you couldn't touch them if they
1:08:36judged you as unworthy.
1:08:38Everyone, if those are holy stones, they
1:08:41won't approve of a greedy heart.
1:08:43Put aside any thoughts of taking them
1:08:45all, and pick one that you like.
1:08:48Go for that one in particular, and if it
1:08:50lets you pick it up, put it somewhere
1:08:52safe.
1:08:53Carl informed them a moment before they
1:08:55were set to run toward the pond.
1:08:57The cleric nodded fervently.
1:09:00You must not entertain greed or violence
1:09:02in your heart, or they will reject you.
1:09:05Carl jerked to the side, startled when
1:09:07Dana poked him on the arm.
1:09:10You can set the priestess down. She's
1:09:12awake again.
1:09:13Thor looked out of his space and popped
1:09:15into reality to run across the field and
1:09:17splash in the pond.
1:09:19Well, we can say that the water is safe.
1:09:22Go ahead, everyone, and try not to let
1:09:25Thor splash you too much if you're not
1:09:27going to strip down to swimwear.
1:09:29Carl laughed.
1:09:31After splashing around for a moment,
1:09:33Thor settled into the pond with a sigh,
1:09:35letting just his snout show over the
1:09:37surface as he relaxed in the cool water.
1:09:40It feels so good on the scales.
1:09:42He informed Carl happily.
1:09:45Carl walked down to the pond, following
1:09:47the others who were searching for a spot
1:09:49that felt right to them so they could
1:09:51pick a lucky rock.
1:09:53Hawk thought that it was hilarious as he
1:09:55had no interest in the rocks.
1:09:57Nor did Ray as they glowed and would
1:10:00mess up the vibe in her space.
1:10:02How could she be a mysterious predator
1:10:04in the dark and use a nightlight?
1:10:06You could make a walkway with them down
1:10:08the sides.
1:10:10Carl suggested.
1:10:12So bright.
1:10:13How would I ever sleep?
1:10:16Ray objected.
1:10:17Carl looked over at Thor who was now
1:10:20snoring as he relaxed in the lake and
1:10:22the spider began to laugh.
1:10:24Point taken.
1:10:26Carl decided he would pick a stone after
1:10:28everyone else had theirs.
1:10:30He wasn't strictly a magic user, so it
1:10:32didn't matter whether he found some
1:10:34perfect or most powerful stone. He would
1:10:36just pick a nice-looking one and call it
1:10:38a day.
1:10:39So, while the others put great effort
1:10:42into their choice, Carl focused on
1:10:44making a relaxation pond for Thor in his
1:10:46mental space.
1:10:48If the lightning serow liked the water
1:10:49that much, it only made sense to give
1:10:52him a pond of his own.
1:10:54Finding the stones only took a half an
1:10:56hour, but then the warriors began to
1:10:57strip down to their shirts and underwear
1:10:59to go for a swim with Thor.
1:11:02The water had magic in it and a swim
1:11:04might give them some benefits that they
1:11:06wouldn't get just by standing near the
1:11:07shore.
1:11:09Most of the mages were more reluctant as
1:11:11they weren't as physically toned as the
1:11:13warriors were, but eventually they caved
1:11:15and ran back into the bushes to change
1:11:17into swimsuits from their bags.
1:11:20Having to recover a resource from the
1:11:21water was an anticipated scenario and
1:11:24the suits didn't take much space, so
1:11:26they were standard kit.
1:11:28They were also useful on rainy days and
1:11:30hot environments when it was easier to
1:11:32just get wet and keep your kit dry than
1:11:34to try to dry your clothes later.
1:11:36Carl finished the small pond for Thor
1:11:39which he could expand later and changed
1:11:41before he came out of the trees to join
1:11:42the fun.
1:11:44The combination of the lightning serow
1:11:46whose refreshing lightning made the
1:11:47water mildly charged and refreshing as
1:11:49he slept and the natural magic of the
1:11:52pond combined to make an outdoor spa.
1:11:55They likely wouldn't get much more done
1:11:56today unless they left soon, but Carl
1:11:59let everyone soak for an hour and play
1:12:01in the pond before Hawk reported that he
1:12:02had seen some strange ferns that were
1:12:04definitely magic.
1:12:06Hawk has found another resource.
1:12:09Has everyone found what they need here?
1:12:11Carl asked.
1:12:13Yeah, give us a bit to change clothes
1:12:16and we will be ready to go.
1:12:18Dana replied, giving the water a longing
1:12:20look.
1:12:21They couldn't take it with them, but
1:12:23there were still plenty of magical
1:12:24stones in it, so they could come back on
1:12:26another mission to the area and play in
1:12:28the water again.
1:12:30The holy stones that they had gathered
1:12:32wouldn't wear out if they just used them
1:12:33as a meditation focus to improve their
1:12:35growth, so they wouldn't need to take
1:12:37any more of them, just relax in the
1:12:39water.
1:12:40Once everyone was changed and shouldered
1:12:42their packs again, Carl called Ray and
1:12:44Thor back into the space.
1:12:47Thor was still half asleep, but Ray had
1:12:49only been splashing at the edge of the
1:12:51water, unwilling to go into water deeper
1:12:53than her lower torso.
1:12:55Like a cat, she cleaned herself.
1:12:58There was no need for her to bathe in a
1:13:00pool of water and she didn't see the
1:13:02appeal.
1:13:03It was only when they were halfway to
1:13:05the next resource when Carl realized
1:13:07that the bottom of the pond in Thor's
1:13:08mental space was now lined with very
1:13:10real gravel and a large number of holy
1:13:12stones.
1:13:14He had taken them with him when he
1:13:15transferred back in and it seemed that
1:13:17the holy stones didn't prevent their
1:13:19transfer.
1:13:20How does he do that anyhow?
1:13:23Ray asked, meaning how he let his head
1:13:25float with his nostrils out of the water
1:13:27as he slept.
1:13:28His nose and mouth are fully separate.
1:13:31He fills his mouth with air and closes
1:13:33it, then it makes his head naturally
1:13:35float while he breathes through his
1:13:37nose.
1:13:38Carl informed the confused spider.
1:13:41Make him stop. It's freaky.
1:13:44Thor snorted in amusement and moved a
1:13:46little so his head was on the shore and
1:13:48not floating in the water.
1:13:50Better.
1:13:51The ferns that Hawk had found were a
1:13:53primary ingredient for healing potions,
1:13:55a thick stem filled with numbing gel
1:13:57that could be used alone as a painkiller
1:13:59ointment, but when combined into the
1:14:01potions by witches or other healing
1:14:03classes with alchemy skills, they would
1:14:05be able to heal major injuries almost as
1:14:07well as the expensive medicines that the
1:14:09doctor in the frontier town had provided
1:14:11to Carl.
1:14:12These aren't easy to store.
1:14:15Does anyone have extra glass jars for
1:14:16the gel?
1:14:18One of the witches asked hopefully.
1:14:21Each of the warriors dug in their bag
1:14:23and took out one of the specimen jars,
1:14:25then realized just how inadequate they
1:14:27were for the task.
1:14:29The jar held half a liter which seemed
1:14:31like a lot until they realized that the
1:14:33stem of the fern branch she wanted to
1:14:35drain was taller than they were and as
1:14:37thick as their leg.
1:14:39Carl thought about the issue for a
1:14:40moment, then unpacked one of his jars
1:14:42and went to a smaller fern branch.
1:14:45A slice of Ren cut it off past the first
1:14:47branches where it should likely regrow
1:14:50and then he stuffed the bottom of the
1:14:51thin stem into the jar holding all the
1:14:54gel inside.
1:14:55There.
1:14:57Problem solved.
1:14:59He announced.
1:15:00I never thought of that.
1:15:02We will look silly with fern branch
1:15:04flagpoles on our backs, but it will give
1:15:06us so much.
1:15:08I mean, so much.
1:15:10The witch cheered.
1:15:12Carl passed the jar of fern to Thor who
1:15:15looked at it for a second before
1:15:16realizing it was medicine and not food.
1:15:19That was interesting.
1:15:21He couldn't put the jar in the space
1:15:23empty, but with medicine in it, he
1:15:25could.
1:15:26The witch was staring at him now, so
1:15:28Carl shrugged.
1:15:30I can store food and medicine in the
1:15:32same mental space where the pets rest.
1:15:35Just food and medicine so far, but
1:15:37that's where I put the fern.
1:15:39The witch made a pleading look, then
1:15:41looked down at the pile of jars.
1:15:44It would be a nightmare to try to carry
1:15:4610 of the meter-tall smaller fern
1:15:47plants, but sitting in Thor's space it
1:15:50wasn't an issue.
1:15:51All right, I will give them back when
1:15:53we're done the mission.
1:15:55Carl agreed.
1:15:57They stuffed ferns into the jars that
1:15:58had been donated to the witch and then
1:16:00cut down one extra fern and portioned
1:16:02the gel between everyone, including the
1:16:04clerics who had leather pouches instead
1:16:07of jars.
1:16:08They didn't seal as well, but they
1:16:10folded flat and didn't take up as much
1:16:12space when empty.
1:16:14Now, we've all got medicine rubs, so
1:16:16let's look for more resources before we
1:16:18go home.
1:16:20Not too much more though.
1:16:22We're all out of space.
1:16:24The students laughed.
1:16:26There was no better problem to have
1:16:28during a resource gathering mission than
1:16:30finding so much that you couldn't carry
1:16:32it all.
1:16:33The group headed out toward the next
1:16:35likely spot that Hawk had discovered,
1:16:37which turned out to be on the far side
1:16:39of a swampy riverbed.
1:16:41The river itself was shallow and
1:16:42slow-moving, but the marsh didn't look
1:16:44like a pleasant place to cross and it
1:16:46would be the home to at least a few
1:16:48monsters.
1:16:49Hawk, how far is it to go around to a
1:16:52better spot to cross?
1:16:54Carl asked as Hawk detailed the route.
1:16:57Far, but there is another good thing
1:16:59over there.
1:17:00It is further, but you can get it then
1:17:02come to this one.
1:17:04Hawk suggested.
1:17:06All right, lead the way.
1:17:08Good and bad news, everyone.
1:17:11That marsh doesn't look fun to cross,
1:17:13but Hawk found another spot.
1:17:16It will be a fairly long detour and then
1:17:18we will come back for what he found
1:17:19here.
1:17:21Were there any other resources on your
1:17:22list that you absolutely need?
1:17:25We can make them a priority.
1:17:27Carl announced to the group.
1:17:29The warriors shook their head.
1:17:32The moss was the essential one for us.
1:17:35Dana smiled and touched the holy stone
1:17:37that she had tucked in an amulet on a
1:17:39chain around her neck.
1:17:41The mages found something much better
1:17:42than they came here for.
1:17:44The holy stone can replace the original
1:17:47resources.
1:17:48Excellent.
1:17:50I noticed that this next stop is near
1:17:52the train tracks, so we can pick it and
1:17:54then return to the academy.
1:17:56There's no need to go overboard when we
1:17:58can just apply to go out again.
1:18:00If the results are good, they should
1:18:02approve our second trip to the same area
1:18:04and this is remote enough that not many
1:18:06will travel through here before we can
1:18:08get approval.
1:18:09Carl suggested.
1:18:11But next time, we bring large sacks for
1:18:14all the extra loot.
1:18:16I'm already considering using my coat or
1:18:18the rain cover for my backpack to get
1:18:20more storage.
1:18:21One of the warriors agreed.
1:18:24The mages were a bit more reserved.
1:18:27They didn't have supernatural strength.
1:18:29Even if they wanted to carry more, their
1:18:31packs were heavy.
1:18:33The prospect of applying for another
1:18:35trip as soon as they returned as a group
1:18:37which included proper leaders was
1:18:39appealing though.
1:18:41With Carl and Dana on the list, they
1:18:43might get approved to head out in the
1:18:44next few weeks for a second mission to
1:18:46get what they couldn't this trip and
1:18:48that would give them an enormous
1:18:49advantage over students who were still
1:18:51waiting to find a chance to head out on
1:18:53a field excursion.
1:18:54That was the hardest part of arranging a
1:18:56mission as a common rank elite.
1:18:59You needed an escort and the escorts all
1:19:01had better things to do.
1:19:03Most of the awakened rank students would
1:19:05be looking for ascended rank students to
1:19:07lead them on more dangerous missions,
1:19:09while the ascended rank students would
1:19:11be petitioning to go out with teachers
1:19:12on their own training exercises.
1:19:15Even if that failed, entire missions of
1:19:17awakened rank and higher students were
1:19:19an option, so the chances for the common
1:19:21rank students to get a leader were far
1:19:23lower than the number of students
1:19:24looking to go on an excursion.
1:19:27The most common reason one would agree
1:19:28was because they wanted something in the
1:19:30area and didn't want the competition of
1:19:32a stronger group.
1:19:34Not out of altruism or a fondness for
1:19:36the new students.
1:19:38It left all the junior students
1:19:39scrambling to find a senior in a good
1:19:41mood or who needed something near the
1:19:43things that they needed.
1:19:45Sometimes there was an overlap as some
1:19:47resources would be useful to nearly
1:19:49anyone, but that was fairly uncommon
1:19:51when viewed across the entire population
1:19:53of the academy.
1:19:55Carl followed an animal trail toward the
1:19:57next location where Hawk was flying
1:19:59overhead scanning for threats.
1:20:02I see some small creatures but not mice.
1:20:06Nothing big and nothing powerful so far.
1:20:09He informed Carl.
1:20:11There's not going to be a bunch more of
1:20:13the small things hiding in tunnels, is
1:20:15there?
1:20:16Carl asked thinking about the earth mice
1:20:19and their hiding tactics.
1:20:21No, these are tree small things.
1:20:24Furry, kind of fluffy.
1:20:27Hawk replied as he didn't have a name
1:20:29for them.
1:20:30Some things like the earth mice, his
1:20:33genetic memory instinctively knew, but
1:20:35these were unfamiliar and while they
1:20:37were the same size, they certainly
1:20:39weren't mice.
1:20:40Careful now.
1:20:42There are monsters in the trees, small
1:20:44ones, possibly squirrels.
1:20:47Carl warned the others.
1:20:49Normally, the magic enhanced versions of
1:20:52squirrels were like earth mice and not a
1:20:54real threat to anyone as they weren't
1:20:56that hostile.
1:20:58But those were the ones near the towns
1:21:00who were accustomed to humans.
1:21:02These, who might not have seen a human
1:21:04in generations, could be a different
1:21:06story.
1:21:08Like the common grade lap cat who was
1:21:10known as a great house pet, but the
1:21:12feral versions were deadly.
1:21:14They came up to the spot that Hawk was
1:21:16pointing out and Carl couldn't help but
1:21:18to smile.
1:21:19There was a single memory fruit tree
1:21:21here heavy with ripe fruit ready to be
1:21:23plucked.
1:21:25Good news everyone.
1:21:27This is the memory fruit tree.
1:21:29I have seen this one before.
1:21:32You can only use these a few times in
1:21:34your life before they start losing
1:21:35effectiveness, but they allow for the
1:21:37perfect recollection of everything that
1:21:39you know for a short period of time.
1:21:41As I recall, you can dry them for longer
1:21:44term storage, but they should be used
1:21:46within 6 months to a year even if dried
1:21:48and stored.
1:21:50He informed the group.
1:21:52What use would that be?
1:21:54I mean, do they just let you remember
1:21:56things, you know?
1:21:58One of the warriors asked.
1:22:00The group's true it thumped him on the
1:22:01back of the head with a smile.
1:22:04Idiot.
1:22:05Yes, they bring back the memories of
1:22:07everything that you learned and then
1:22:09forgot.
1:22:10Do you know how valuable these things
1:22:12will be for the end of year written
1:22:13exams?
1:22:15We might coast through the first
1:22:16semester exams, but the end of the year
1:22:18is both physical and written.
1:22:21If you want a good placement in second
1:22:22year, you need to ace both.
1:22:25And if you have one of these fruits
1:22:26conveniently dried and stored away, you
1:22:28just need to cram study for a week
1:22:30before the test and then eat the fruit
1:22:32and you'll ace the written portion.
1:22:34The rest of the students looked
1:22:36somewhere between reverent and
1:22:37horrified.
1:22:39That plant was definitely cheating on
1:22:41the tests, a performance enhancing drug,
1:22:43but that wasn't something they tested
1:22:45elites for.
1:22:46In fact, you were silently encouraged to
1:22:49take things that helped you perform and
1:22:50grow.
1:22:52Or not so silently in the case of Carl
1:22:54and the other students on a curated
1:22:56training path.
1:22:58That also made the other students wonder
1:22:59if there was some secret distribution
1:23:01system for bits of this fruit to help
1:23:03the students who were chosen as the top
1:23:05of the class.
1:23:07Carl and Dana were the top of the first
1:23:09year already and they didn't need this,
1:23:11but they were going to have it anyhow.
1:23:13It was almost enough to make the other
1:23:15students cry at life's injustice giving
1:23:17all the good stuff to those already
1:23:19fortunate, but today they got to
1:23:21piggyback off that good luck and get
1:23:22something exceptional for themselves.
1:23:25One a piece as there are 13 fruits.
1:23:28We will leave the last one here for any
1:23:30lucky person who happens to come along
1:23:32behind us.
1:23:34Carl instructed.
1:23:36The cleric girl laughed.
1:23:38Can you imagine?
1:23:40Just walking through the forest and
1:23:42finding this with one last lonely fruit
1:23:44on it waiting for you.
1:23:46It would seem like a miracle and they
1:23:48will never know that we were here and
1:23:50took all the rest.
1:23:52But in a way, it is a miracle, isn't it?
1:23:55Wouldn't anyone else have just taken
1:23:57them all and sold the last one?
1:23:59One of the mages laughed as she took a
1:24:01fruit off the tree.
1:24:03Once everyone had their loot safely
1:24:04stowed away in one of the many pockets
1:24:06of their packs, Carl ordered Hawk to
1:24:08find them a good route back to the train
1:24:10tracks.
1:24:12They had a long journey ahead of them
1:24:13since they had gotten so off track, but
1:24:16they could likely make it to the tracks
1:24:17before dark which meant they could catch
1:24:19a train in the morning.
1:24:21At least Carl hoped there was one coming
1:24:23the other way in the morning.
1:24:25He didn't know how busy the track was,
1:24:27but it should be the route that the
1:24:29daily supply delivery for the academy
1:24:31took.
1:24:32That one was going the wrong way, but in
1:24:34the worst case scenario, they could take
1:24:36it to the next town and then switch to
1:24:38go back.
1:24:39Their rations were still holding out so
1:24:41Carl wasn't worried about staying an
1:24:43extra day to wait for the right train,
1:24:45but it would be nice to get back to
1:24:46civilization and get a proper shower.
1:24:49Maybe they would have the good pumice
1:24:51soap.
1:24:52It didn't smell as nice as the stuff the
1:24:54academy had and normally he didn't need
1:24:57it there, but after a few days in the
1:24:59wilderness, he felt like he could use a
1:25:01good scrub and a cup of thick black
1:25:02miner's coffee.
1:25:04He could see the squirrel type beasts as
1:25:06they walked through the dense mass of
1:25:08ash trees just watching the group
1:25:10silently from their perch in the
1:25:11branches and trying to avoid attracting
1:25:13the attention of the humans.
1:25:16But something told him that there was
1:25:17more here.
1:25:19Something that Hawk couldn't see from
1:25:20the sky.
1:25:22The woods just had a feeling like that
1:25:24as if he was being watched and Ray
1:25:26agreed though she hadn't found a source
1:25:28either.
1:25:29The others seemed unaware so it might be
1:25:31a creature with its attention directly
1:25:33on Carl, but it could just be his
1:25:35heightened senses giving him an advance
1:25:37warning of danger.
1:25:38The beasts couldn't always explain how
1:25:40they knew that there was a threat.
1:25:43They just sensed it and now Carl did
1:25:45too.
1:25:46Then a kilometer from the memory fruit
1:25:48tree, he found the first signs that
1:25:50there was something large enough to
1:25:52threaten them.
1:25:53There were claw marks on a tree trunk
1:25:55over a meter above his head.
1:25:58Anything that could leave claw marks up
1:26:00there was bad news even if it was
1:26:01something that could fly.
1:26:03Carl would have said, especially if it
1:26:05was something that could fly, but they
1:26:07had Hawk with them to help with flying
1:26:09predators.
1:26:10He didn't need to warn the others about
1:26:12the chance to be attacked, the claw
1:26:14marks were enough of a warning and their
1:26:16progress slowed even further as the
1:26:17group did their best to move in a
1:26:19defensive formation so they weren't
1:26:21ambushed.
1:26:22But there was no sign of whatever made
1:26:24those marks.
1:26:26At least not for the next 20 minutes
1:26:28before they saw even more of them and a
1:26:30few down trees that spoke of a conflict
1:26:32between two huge creatures that were
1:26:34likely awakened rank or higher.
1:26:36It looks like the intelligence on the
1:26:38area missed a few things.
1:26:40While they might have just been passing
1:26:42through, most common grande monsters
1:26:44can't take down an ash tree the size of
1:26:46my torso.
1:26:48Carl remarked as they passed the
1:26:49destruction.
1:26:51Thanks for the reminder.
1:26:53One of the warriors replied
1:26:54sarcastically.
1:26:56Unlike Carl, he was at the common grade
1:26:59and he couldn't take down a tree like
1:27:00that either.
1:27:02At least not without using slash as an
1:27:05axe to hack away at it.
1:27:07The trees they were seeing on the ground
1:27:09had been knocked over by a single brutal
1:27:10impact.
1:27:12Something that was either massive or
1:27:14moving very fast had hit the tree and
1:27:16broken it off.
1:27:17Then there were torn up chunks of ground
1:27:19and more signs of combat including burn
1:27:21marks that had to be from an ability and
1:27:24some random slice marks on the branches
1:27:26overhead.
1:27:27What in the world happened here?
1:27:29Dana muttered as she looked around
1:27:31instinctively pulling her golems closer
1:27:33to her.
1:27:35One of the other mages moved up to scan
1:27:37the area touching the broken stumps and
1:27:39making gestures toward the slashes as
1:27:41she moved about.
1:27:42My guess is that this was an elite
1:27:44battle.
1:27:45It's not fresh. See that bit of moss
1:27:48growing in the broken tree stump?
1:27:50It's at least a week or two old.
1:27:53The slashes on the tree suggest that it
1:27:55was a warrior type class and the broken
1:27:57trees say that whatever they were
1:27:58fighting was significantly larger than
1:28:00human sized.
1:28:02So they might have cleared this area of
1:28:04the real threats before they reported it
1:28:06to the academy as a lower risk gathering
1:28:08area for resources.
1:28:10She suggested.
1:28:12One of the warriors rolled his eyes at
1:28:14her determination.
1:28:16And you determined all that by what?
1:28:19Dancing around the area a little?
1:28:21She shook her head.
1:28:23Come over here and bring out your sword.
1:28:26We don't really have anyone big enough
1:28:28to be the opponent that was fighting
1:28:29here who could leave claw marks 3 m in
1:28:32the air, but follow my lead.
1:28:34She placed him where she wanted then
1:28:36began to reenact the first few moves of
1:28:38a fight scene stopping to point at marks
1:28:41on the trees as she went.
1:28:43Then he was forced back and there are
1:28:45those slices in the branches.
1:28:47My guess is that he was knocked over and
1:28:49attacked upward at the beast.
1:28:51It matches with the torn up earth right
1:28:53there.
1:28:54Then a few more attacks and he sent the
1:28:57beast flying into that tree.
1:28:59She explained.
1:29:01Never underestimate a detective drama
1:29:03nerd when they say that they can
1:29:05recreate a crime scene.
1:29:07One of the other mages laughed.
1:29:09Carl smiled and nodded.
1:29:12I believe she's right.
1:29:14It matches and if Thor was bigger, I
1:29:16think that we could see just how close
1:29:18it would be.
1:29:20The creature was likely fighting in a
1:29:21bipedal manner though, a bear or
1:29:23something similar.
1:29:25Yeah, I was happier not knowing that.
1:29:28The warrior who did the reenactment
1:29:30commented,
1:29:31"Well, at least now you know what to
1:29:33look for.
1:29:35We're halfway to the railroad tracks, so
1:29:37just keep moving and stay alert.
1:29:40Once we're there, we can rest and wait
1:29:42for the train to come."
1:29:43Carl reminded him.
1:29:46"The sooner, the better."
1:29:48The warrior agreed as he got back in
1:29:49line and everyone prepared to move
1:29:51again.
1:29:53Now they were barely making any progress
1:29:55as everyone was so nervous, but Carl and
1:29:57Dana kept pushing them forward,
1:29:59preventing them from stopping for every
1:30:01noise in the forest.
1:30:03If there was something the size of
1:30:05whatever broke the trees, Hawk would
1:30:06have seen it, and he was only reporting
1:30:08fun facts about the tree monkeys and
1:30:10other small random creatures he was
1:30:12seeing.
1:30:13But as they got closer to the tracks,
1:30:15the strange sense of being watched
1:30:17continued to grow, making Carl
1:30:19increasingly nervous despite the forest
1:30:21seeming otherwise peaceful.
1:30:24The reason for that eerie feeling became
1:30:26obvious when Hawk finally expanded his
1:30:28search far enough to reach the railroad.
1:30:31"There are people here.
1:30:33Lots of people in white.
1:30:35They look very angry about something and
1:30:37they're just standing around the metal
1:30:39road."
1:30:40That didn't sound good, but they might
1:30:42be the rescue party that had come for
1:30:43the high priest.
1:30:45"Stay out of their range, but return to
1:30:47the beast space if they've seen you.
1:30:50They might be looking for the beetle or
1:30:52any other monster in the area.
1:30:54I will call Thor back in as well."
1:30:57Carl replied,
1:30:59"I am on my way back.
1:31:01They definitely see me up here. They
1:31:03just can't reach me."
1:31:06Carl tried to focus on Hawk's memories
1:31:08of the people at the railroad tracks,
1:31:10but he couldn't get a clear image.
1:31:12Their communication was more verbal than
1:31:14imagery, and Hawk had described them as
1:31:16being in various forms of white clothes.
1:31:19That sounded like clergy, but he
1:31:21couldn't be certain.
1:31:23"All right, everyone. The clergy group
1:31:25up ahead may or may not actually be
1:31:27clergy, and they might be here with ill
1:31:29intentions.
1:31:31Hawk got a weird vibe from them, so we
1:31:33should be cautious approaching.
1:31:35They are at the railroad though, so
1:31:37unless we make a large detour and stay
1:31:39back in the trees, they will see us
1:31:41waiting."
1:31:43Carl informed the group.
1:31:45"They shouldn't have any reason to be
1:31:46hostile to us."
1:31:48The cleric boy reminded them.
1:31:51One of the warrior boys frowned.
1:31:53"You mean other than the missing high
1:31:55priest?
1:31:57I know it's not your fault and so does
1:31:59everyone else here, but the question is
1:32:01if they're going to listen to a bunch of
1:32:02trainee elites when one of their own is
1:32:04missing in the area."
1:32:06"One of the high priests had his
1:32:07carriage robbed while he was in my town
1:32:09and the church was not happy with
1:32:11anyone."
1:32:12Put like that, it would be best to be
1:32:14careful how they phrase the first
1:32:16interactions with the group up ahead.
1:32:19Everyone turned to Carl and Dana smiled
1:32:21at him.
1:32:22"Well, good luck, team leader.
1:32:25We're counting on you to make a good
1:32:27first impression."
1:32:29She announced.
1:32:30"Fine, I will go talk to them.
1:32:33Everyone else, wait here for me to
1:32:35return."
1:32:37Carl sighed.
1:32:38Carl walked the last few hundred meters
1:32:40to the tree line and then out into the
1:32:42open, covering the last half kilometer
1:32:44to the railroad tracks where roughly 50
1:32:47men in clergy uniforms were gathered.
1:32:50There were two high priests that Carl
1:32:51could see and four young boys, about the
1:32:54age of the two students that they had
1:32:56rescued, along with the 50 clergy
1:32:58guards.
1:32:59Hopefully, this was the group from the
1:33:01seminary academy that had been out
1:33:03gathering resources.
1:33:05The closest of the guards raised his
1:33:07fist in a silent greeting, which Carl
1:33:09returned as he walked.
1:33:11If he recalled right, that was done by
1:33:13guards and soldiers so that their voice
1:33:15didn't attract monsters or the enemy.
1:33:18Once he got close, the guard began to
1:33:20speak.
1:33:21"Who might you be all alone out here in
1:33:23the woods?"
1:33:25The middle-aged guard asked.
1:33:27"Not all alone, just cautious.
1:33:30I take it you're with the seminary
1:33:32academy out to gather herbs."
1:33:35Carl replied.
1:33:37The guard nodded and his gaze turned
1:33:39curious.
1:33:40"You met with the missing team or you
1:33:42wouldn't know that.
1:33:44Are they all right?
1:33:45Where did you see them last?"
1:33:48"Their escort has been killed by an
1:33:49ascended rank giant beetle, but I
1:33:51brought the students with me on our
1:33:53mission for safety.
1:33:55We happened to discover a holy relic and
1:33:57when one of our team touched the
1:33:58crystals, we were pulled into a world
1:34:00dragon trial instance as the guardians
1:34:03of that place called it."
1:34:05Carl explained, skipping most of the
1:34:07details to get the important part out.
1:34:09"A trial instance?
1:34:11What did it look like?"
1:34:13The closer of the two clerics asked
1:34:15eagerly.
1:34:17"A forested space with a gigantic golden
1:34:19pyramid temple in the middle.
1:34:21There were stairs up the four sides,
1:34:23testing your strength, magic, willpower,
1:34:26and fate.
1:34:27We remained there for 4 days until it
1:34:29kicked us out, but I got the guardian
1:34:31golem to tell me that it opens at the
1:34:33will of the world dragon, so it's not
1:34:35broken or anything, just waiting."
1:34:38Carl explained.
1:34:40"Before you two go on a tangent, where
1:34:42are the students?"
1:34:44The guard asked.
1:34:46"And did you find the body of the high
1:34:47priest?"
1:34:49The other cleric asked.
1:34:51"I found the body, partially eaten by
1:34:53the beetle.
1:34:55I have it with me so it could be given a
1:34:56proper burial.
1:34:58The students are with the rest of my
1:35:00group. I can go get them."
1:35:02Carl replied.
1:35:04"Why so cautious?"
1:35:06The second cleric asked.
1:35:09"Not to sound rude, but we are trained
1:35:11to be cautious of everything out here in
1:35:12the wilderness and we couldn't be sure
1:35:14that you were really from the church
1:35:16just going by the fact you were white.
1:35:18I didn't want to put my team at risk."
1:35:21Carl replied quietly.
1:35:23"Understandable.
1:35:25But your badge says you're still an
1:35:27awakened rank student. Wouldn't that put
1:35:29you at risk?"
1:35:30The first cleric asked.
1:35:33"Better one than all.
1:35:35I am the team leader. It is my duty to
1:35:37keep them safe."
1:35:39Carl replied with a shrug.
1:35:41The guards nodded in appreciation for a
1:35:43good leader, though their attitude
1:35:45seemed a bit insulted that he appeared
1:35:47to think that he could take them all at
1:35:48once, even if it was just long enough to
1:35:50escape.
1:35:52Even if as an awakened elite, he was one
1:35:54and they were 50 with holy magic from
1:35:56the clerics.
1:35:58Really, Carl was just trusting in his
1:36:00physique and lightning shield to make a
1:36:02break for it if things went wrong.
1:36:04"If you would please go get the rest of
1:36:06your team, there should be a train here
1:36:08in the next 2 hours.
1:36:10We were going to return and call a
1:36:11search team, but if you have them with
1:36:13you, we can all return home."
1:36:16The closer of the two old clerics
1:36:18suggested.
1:36:19"Of course.
1:36:21I will go get them and I will be right
1:36:22back."
1:36:24Carl turned to walk away and sensed both
1:36:26Thor and Hawk in their spaces, watching
1:36:29the group as he disappeared back into
1:36:30the trees.
1:36:32"They're not following you, but they're
1:36:33watching closely."
1:36:35Hawk informed him.
1:36:37"All right, that's normal.
1:36:40They're expecting me to come back with
1:36:41their students."
1:36:43Carl walked back to the group and
1:36:45gestured them forward.
1:36:46"There are two more clerics. I think
1:36:48they're high priests as well as four
1:36:50boys about your age.
1:36:53They have 50 guards with them and
1:36:54they're waiting on the train to go back
1:36:56to the school."
1:36:58The two young cleric trainees gave each
1:37:00other a high five.
1:37:02"Did you explain about the holy relic?
1:37:04Because they're going to be able to
1:37:06sense the holy magic as we approach."
1:37:09The girl asked.
1:37:11"I did.
1:37:12I didn't go into much detail, but I told
1:37:14them that it existed and that you two
1:37:16were safe."
1:37:18Carl explained.
1:37:20"That should be enough.
1:37:22Are we going now?"
1:37:23Carl nodded and turned back to the
1:37:25tracks.
1:37:26"Everyone, follow us. Same formation as
1:37:29usual. Keep the mages and clerics in the
1:37:31center of the triple file.
1:37:33We're heading toward a group of career
1:37:35soldiers, so try not to make yourselves
1:37:37look like the brand new students that
1:37:39you are."
1:37:40The team laughed at the notion they
1:37:42might look like anything but a bunch of
1:37:44first-year students out on their first
1:37:45mission.
1:37:47Sure, they had grown in power a lot
1:37:49since they arrived at the holy relic,
1:37:51but that didn't make them any more
1:37:52experienced about being out in the
1:37:53world.
1:37:55They exited the trees with Carl in the
1:37:57lead and he could see that the clerics
1:37:59were actively looking for the two
1:38:00students.
1:38:02Then, as they got closer, the two
1:38:04priests got a strange look and began to
1:38:06search around in every direction.
1:38:09"Is there something wrong?"
1:38:11Carl called and motioned for the team to
1:38:13stop.
1:38:14"I sensed holy magic. There is someone
1:38:17else here."
1:38:18One of the clerics called back.
1:38:21He was clearly nervous that someone was
1:38:22following them, so perhaps they had come
1:38:24across something good as well and didn't
1:38:26want another claiming the credit for
1:38:28their discovery.
1:38:29Carl waved to the cleric as he got the
1:38:31team moving.
1:38:33"False alarm.
1:38:35It is probably the students.
1:38:37We had an encounter with a holy relic,
1:38:39remember?
1:38:41They've grown much more than expected in
1:38:43the last few days.
1:38:45They're from our school.
1:38:47Those two are professors, not high
1:38:49priests, but strong with holy magic.
1:38:52I don't know the guards, but the other
1:38:54students are familiar faces.
1:38:56I didn't know that they were out here as
1:38:58well.
1:38:59The high priest only told us we were
1:39:01leaving, not anything else."
1:39:04The cleric boy with them explained.
1:39:06"Well, at least we can confirm that
1:39:08they're really clerics.
1:39:10Let's get there and get settled for some
1:39:12storytelling.
1:39:14They are not going to let us just
1:39:15silently board the train without giving
1:39:17them all the details.
1:39:19I hope that you are ready to relive the
1:39:21dangerous parts.
1:39:23Carl whispered back.
1:39:25I think so.
1:39:27It's not my favorite memory, but I doubt
1:39:29that I'm going to panic if I happen to
1:39:31remember it.
1:39:32The boy replied.
1:39:34The guards moved to encircle them once
1:39:36they got close to the group.
1:39:38They were all facing out, alert for some
1:39:41sort of danger, and definitely not
1:39:43threatened by the students.
1:39:45But Carl still had that creepy feeling,
1:39:47like something was wrong.
1:39:49Only now that he was close, he could
1:39:51tell that it wasn't coming from this
1:39:53group of people, just from this area in
1:39:55general.
1:39:56So, he didn't relax, and he prepared to
1:39:59bring the refreshing lightning barrier
1:40:00up as soon as he sensed a threat.
1:40:03Calling the beasts out would be a last
1:40:05resort, as he would have to explain to
1:40:07all the soldiers beforehand, but keeping
1:40:09the barrier up shouldn't be too much of
1:40:10an issue.
1:40:12Everyone expected the elites to have
1:40:14some sort of supernatural powers.
1:40:16The two clerics came over to the group
1:40:18and began examining the students they
1:40:20had rescued, while the other four
1:40:22students looked on in envy.
1:40:24Even they could sense the power from the
1:40:26two newly arrived students, and it was
1:40:28obvious that they had been gifted with
1:40:30magic by the trial.
1:40:32This does pose a bit of a dilemma.
1:40:34It is holy magic, but so much of it
1:40:37might make the government believe that
1:40:38they are serum awakened, and not just
1:40:40common clergy.
1:40:42The older of the two sighed.
1:40:44Is there a distinction within the
1:40:46church?
1:40:47Carl asked, hoping it wasn't rude.
1:40:50There is.
1:40:52The ones who awaken cleric marks with
1:40:54the divine injection are sent to us,
1:40:56while the ones raised by us that awaken
1:40:58other marks are sent to the academy.
1:41:00There weren't any last year, only one
1:41:02that a mark, and it was a cleric, but
1:41:04our group does not have many students to
1:41:06begin with.
1:41:08The priest explained.
1:41:10The other four boys nodded in unison.
1:41:13There are only eight of us in our year
1:41:15for the whole region.
1:41:17One of them offered.
1:41:18That made sense. The seminary academy
1:41:21was normally raising selected orphans as
1:41:23priests and nuns to help keep the church
1:41:25running, not to become elite magic
1:41:27users.
1:41:28The main orphanages were in the big
1:41:30cities, where there was the most need.
1:41:33The fact that some of their intended
1:41:34helpers did gain exceptional levels of
1:41:36holy magic either from the serum or from
1:41:38their faith was just an added benefit.
1:41:41If I didn't know better, I would say
1:41:43that you were awakened by the serum.
1:41:46Have either of you gotten a mark on your
1:41:47body after the trial?
1:41:49The cleric asked.
1:41:51Both of them carefully took off their
1:41:53gloves, revealing the mark of a bishop's
1:41:55scepter with a dragon wrapped around it.
1:41:58That wasn't the mark that the cleric in
1:42:00front of them had, Carl noticed.
1:42:03His was a simple ankh, a cross with a
1:42:05looped top on the back of his right
1:42:07hand, but these two were much more
1:42:09ornate and detailed.
1:42:11They were also larger.
1:42:13Much like Carl's claw marks, they took
1:42:15up an entire forearm.
1:42:17But the cleric knew what they were right
1:42:19away.
1:42:20You, team leader, do you have an
1:42:22emergency phone?
1:42:24He asked.
1:42:26Of course.
1:42:27Do you need to make a call?
1:42:29Carl replied.
1:42:31Dial 777, and when they pick up, put us
1:42:34on speakerphone.
1:42:36The cleric instructed.
1:42:39Carl did as he requested, and the phone
1:42:41only rang once before being picked up.
1:42:44Speak.
1:42:45The person on the other end replied.
1:42:48Cleric class professor 8675309.
1:42:53The priest replied as soon as Carl hit
1:42:55the speaker button.
1:42:57Verified.
1:42:58What is your emergency?
1:43:01The bored voice asked, sounding nothing
1:43:03like it was an emergency.
1:43:05Two dragon priests found.
1:43:07Awakened at a holy relic before the
1:43:09serum injection.
1:43:11The priest replied.
1:43:13Eight minutes.
1:43:15The voice informed them, then hung up.
1:43:18Carl looked at the group, who mostly
1:43:20seemed as confused as he was.
1:43:23They're not really talkative, are they?
1:43:26Carl asked.
1:43:27It's better if they're not.
1:43:30Remember that number in the future. It
1:43:32is the direct line to the holy
1:43:33inquisition.
1:43:35They're the church's version of special
1:43:36forces, and a number of especially
1:43:38devout elites work with them to prevent
1:43:40damage to sacred sites or attacks on
1:43:42traveling clergy.
1:43:44The priest informed him.
1:43:46Well, it looks like we will be separated
1:43:48very soon, so let me be the first to
1:43:51congratulate you both on your awakening.
1:43:54From the response, I would say that your
1:43:55class is a good and well-known one, so
1:43:58your future should be secure.
1:44:00Carl congratulated the two students, who
1:44:02had kept their awakening to themselves
1:44:04this whole time, though everyone had
1:44:06known that their magic was growing more
1:44:08powerful even before their eyes first
1:44:09glowed with golden light.
1:44:12Do you know what dragon?
1:44:14The priest asked the students, who shook
1:44:16their heads.
1:44:17Dana raised her hand.
1:44:19I think that we do.
1:44:21Their eyes glow golden in the dark.
1:44:24The guards looked reverent at those
1:44:26words, and shifted their defensive
1:44:28postures, as if they were ready to guard
1:44:30the two students even against the other
1:44:31clergy.
1:44:33Then thank the gods we called the
1:44:34inquisition.
1:44:36I was not looking forward to facing the
1:44:38academy matron, or worse, the grand
1:44:40priestess to report that by myself.
1:44:43The second priest muttered.
1:44:46Carl and a few of the guards couldn't
1:44:47help but laugh.
1:44:49Some things were truly universal, and
1:44:51one of them was the aversion to being
1:44:53called out by your superiors,
1:44:56even if you hadn't done anything in
1:44:57particular wrong.
1:44:59They were beginning to relax and count
1:45:01down the minutes until the
1:45:02reinforcements arrived, when the creepy
1:45:04feeling that Carl had been getting
1:45:05intensified, and now even the clerics
1:45:08and mages were feeling it.
1:45:10There really is something else out here.
1:45:13Everyone on guard. I feel a disturbance
1:45:15in the mana flow.
1:45:17The leader of the guard troop announced.
1:45:20In position, circular formation.
1:45:23Carl ordered, and the students moved to
1:45:25surround the clerics, with the mages
1:45:27inside the ring of warriors behind the
1:45:29front lines of the guards.
1:45:31Are you not moving inside the formation?
1:45:34The older priest asked Carl, who had
1:45:36moved to stand with the guards in the
1:45:38outer ring of the defensive line.
1:45:40Guards, I have three tamed beasts with
1:45:43me as part of my class skills.
1:45:46A lightning serow, a windspeed hawk, and
1:45:48a bloodbath spider.
1:45:51If I have to call them out, I need you
1:45:52not to attack them.
1:45:54They are not a spell, they are living
1:45:56creatures.
1:45:58Carl called out and got a sharp response
1:46:00from the guards.
1:46:02Understood, sir.
1:46:04They called in unison, and Carl settled
1:46:07into his place among the guards, next to
1:46:09their team leader.
1:46:10If there was an attack, it would be
1:46:12easier if the two of them could
1:46:14coordinate their orders.
1:46:16For a few tense moments, everyone waited
1:46:18for something to happen.
1:46:20Then, the cause for the alarm became
1:46:22clear.
1:46:24There was a flight of drakes inbound,
1:46:26with riders on their backs.
1:46:28One full wing of drake riders, 140° low
1:46:32on the horizon.
1:46:33The guard sergeant reported.
1:46:36That was nearly behind Carl, but the
1:46:38guards on his side of the formation
1:46:40didn't turn away just yet.
1:46:42Training told them that an attack rarely
1:46:44came from just one direction, and if it
1:46:46was a flying enemy, they could easily
1:46:48circle the team to attack where it
1:46:49looked weakest.
1:46:51Once they're in range, odd numbers
1:46:53turned to face the threat.
1:46:55The guard leader announced, getting back
1:46:57a wordless noise of confirmation.
1:47:00Carl had no experience with that sort of
1:47:02group training, but the students were
1:47:04willing to follow the church guards
1:47:05orders, and when Dana whistled, the
1:47:07mages all turned.
1:47:09They're nearly in spell range now.
1:47:12Call it when you want the attack to
1:47:13begin.
1:47:15Carl informed the guard leader.
1:47:17Hold fire.
1:47:19They might not be hostile, but the
1:47:21drakes would have sensed the presence of
1:47:22dragon magic a while ago if they'd flown
1:47:25this far inland.
1:47:27That's the only reason the drake riders
1:47:29are ever willing to leave their borders.
1:47:31He replied.
1:47:33Carl struggled to remember geography,
1:47:35but he was reasonably certain that the
1:47:37drake riders were from a nearby island
1:47:39nation, so they must have flown hundreds
1:47:41of kilometers across the golden dragon
1:47:43nation without being intercepted,
1:47:44looking for the magic that had awakened
1:47:46these two new clerics.
1:47:48That was an impressive feat for 20 of
1:47:50the giant flying lizards.
1:47:53I will ask for details later, but what
1:47:55are the chances of attack?
1:47:57Carl whispered to the guard leader.
1:48:00If they've come this far and haven't
1:48:01found what they're looking for, we'd say
1:48:0390%.
1:48:05They view themselves as the rightful
1:48:07heirs of the dragons.
1:48:09He replied grimly.
1:48:11Drakes didn't use magic or breathe fire.
1:48:14At least, Carl hoped that they didn't.
1:48:17But the riders on their backs most
1:48:19likely did, unless they were going to
1:48:21dive into melee combat and use the
1:48:23beasts the way that Carl would have Thor
1:48:24and Ray fight on the ground.
1:48:27The flight of drakes circled the group
1:48:28once, as if verifying their targets,
1:48:31then as one, they dive-bombed the group.
1:48:34Open fire.
1:48:36The guard leader announced.
1:48:38Guards up, the sergeant added, causing
1:48:41the team to raise barriers all around
1:48:43them.
1:48:44Thor didn't have a ranged attack, but
1:48:46Carl called out Ray with a simple mental
1:48:48instruction.
1:48:50Tie their wings and make them crash.
1:48:53Carl was in the odd-numbered position,
1:48:55and as the team rotated to face the
1:48:57flight of drakes, he joined them,
1:48:59waiting for the beasts to get close
1:49:00enough for their claws to rake across
1:49:02the guard set up by the warriors before
1:49:04unleashing shred into the belly and
1:49:06throat of the two drakes closest to him.
1:49:09The beasts roared in pain and the whole
1:49:11flight circled up into the sky except
1:49:14for one unfortunate soul who was caught
1:49:16by Ray's web and thrown from his saddle
1:49:18when the Drake flapped its wings tearing
1:49:20the web.
1:49:21Webs aren't that strong. They won't
1:49:23crash.
1:49:25Ray muttered.
1:49:26That's fine. Just pull the riders from
1:49:28their seats.
1:49:30Carl replied with a smirk.
1:49:32The drakes were trained to obey orders
1:49:35and without a rider they should lose
1:49:36their organization.
1:49:38Thick black blood dripped on Ray's head
1:49:41and Carl felt the surge of energy from
1:49:43her link as well as the joy as she
1:49:45absorbed it.
1:49:46If we kill one, I will take it for you.
1:49:49He informed her as it was clear the
1:49:51Drake blood was better than anything
1:49:53else he had been able to feed her.
1:49:55The damages from the mages and Carl
1:49:57weren't enough to deter the Drake riders
1:49:59and a flurry of flaming arrows flew
1:50:01through the sky to impact against the
1:50:03mage barriers in the center of the
1:50:05group.
1:50:06The barriers began to waver but Dana
1:50:08focused and they stabilized again while
1:50:11the golems glared up at the drakes.
1:50:13Her nullification barrier seemed to be
1:50:15up to the task of stopping the arrows
1:50:17but it would drain her energy reserves
1:50:19quickly if she was the primary defender
1:50:21instead of spreading it between the five
1:50:23mages.
1:50:24The clerics were quick to help and a
1:50:26faint golden glow of holy magic covered
1:50:28her body refreshing her mana and
1:50:31strength in preparation for the next
1:50:32attack.
1:50:34That reminded Carl that he was slacking
1:50:36and he brought up the refreshing
1:50:37lightning around himself hoping for a
1:50:39bit more energy recovery then gave into
1:50:42Hawk's complaints and let the beast
1:50:43free.
1:50:45Even as grand as he was larger than a
1:50:47condor Hawk was tiny compared to the
1:50:49drakes.
1:50:51It was a small blessing as nobody would
1:50:53mistake him for one of the enemy but it
1:50:55was concerning as he was going to be at
1:50:57a major strength disadvantage if he were
1:50:59caught.
1:51:00Instead of facing them head-on Hawk
1:51:02treated it like training.
1:51:04He gained altitude quickly getting above
1:51:06the attackers so he could strike down at
1:51:09them and aimed for the riders.
1:51:11Now.
1:51:13Carl ordered as the attack wave reached
1:51:15the defenders from the church again.
1:51:17Rend attacks flew down at all the Drake
1:51:19riders while Carl threw shred up at the
1:51:21drakes bellies again targeting the same
1:51:24pair.
1:51:25Pain screams filled the air as the two
1:51:27beasts crashed to the ground one
1:51:29bleeding heavily from the neck and the
1:51:31other with a wing nearly severed.
1:51:33Three more broke off the attack as their
1:51:35riders died but the remainder of the
1:51:37wing crashed into the barriers again
1:51:39shattering the guard encirclement and
1:51:42tearing apart the soldiers opposite
1:51:43Carl.
1:51:45The rider of the Drake with the slit
1:51:46throat hopped free at the last instant
1:51:48and charged at Carl who took his head
1:51:50from his body with a rend attack and
1:51:52tried not to gag at the sight of the
1:51:54decapitated corpse falling to the
1:51:55ground.
1:51:57It had been instinctive.
1:51:59Hawk's instincts telling him that the
1:52:01best place to strike was always the neck
1:52:03but he hadn't really been prepared for
1:52:04what came after.
1:52:06A quarter of the wing of Drake riders
1:52:08have been killed but the soldiers were
1:52:10struggling to get their guard back up
1:52:12and the holy magic that was flowing into
1:52:14them to reinforce their spells was still
1:52:16not enough to face off against 15
1:52:18drakes.
1:52:20Mages extend the barrier.
1:52:23Warriors fall back into a double rank.
1:52:26The guard leader ordered.
1:52:28That was their best chance of survival
1:52:30as the elites had more individual power
1:52:32than the two clerics and there were 10
1:52:34of them to the two professors.
1:52:36Warriors to the outer ranks.
1:52:39Carl ordered as that would let them
1:52:41mingle their guard abilities with that
1:52:43of the soldiers.
1:52:45The ability was short-ranged enough that
1:52:47despite their reluctance the boys moved
1:52:49up.
1:52:50Not to the front rank but to the second
1:52:52sandwiched between the professional
1:52:54soldiers.
1:52:56That was good enough for their spells to
1:52:57cover the perimeter and they should be
1:52:59able to take a few more hits before the
1:53:01group would be in trouble again.
1:53:03Two drakes broke off from the formation
1:53:05to chase Hawk as they realized their
1:53:07wing was under attack from above but
1:53:09they didn't have the altitude to close
1:53:11on him that easily.
1:53:12A wire thin rend from Carl took one of
1:53:15the riders from the saddle while Ray
1:53:16pulled the other free sending them both
1:53:19tumbling 50 m to the ground.
1:53:21They managed to cast spells to soften
1:53:23their landings a little but they were
1:53:25too close to the tracks and the clergy
1:53:27guards were on them with slash attacks
1:53:30instantly.
1:53:31That made five loose drakes who began to
1:53:33fly away trained to return home in the
1:53:36event that their rider was lost and two
1:53:38more that were down by attacks.
1:53:40The drakes dove again but this time the
1:53:43mages didn't counterattack when the
1:53:44arrows flew.
1:53:46They focused on their barriers keeping
1:53:48the vicious claws off them while Hawk
1:53:50attacked the drakes from above and Carl
1:53:52coated the flying web being sprayed out
1:53:54by Ray with rend turning the sticky silk
1:53:56into razor wire that tangled around two
1:53:58of the drakes shredding beast and rider
1:54:01alike before pulling them to the ground
1:54:03with a sickening sound that was
1:54:04definitely going to haunt Carl's dreams
1:54:06tonight.
1:54:08Then the most glorious sound in the
1:54:09world reached their ears.
1:54:12A helicopter was inbound and the drakes
1:54:14turned to flee unwilling to face the
1:54:16elite forces equipped with military
1:54:18heavy weapons.
1:54:20Of the 20 Drake riders that had attacked
1:54:22only 10 were going home and a few more
1:54:25beasts would survive to take a new
1:54:26rider.
1:54:28Move forward.
1:54:29Check for survivors.
1:54:32The Inquisition will want to interrogate
1:54:34someone.
1:54:35The older of the two clerics ordered.
1:54:38Ray raced through the long grass pulling
1:54:40one of the dead drakes into her space
1:54:42before anyone noticed or had time to
1:54:44count then she began checking the
1:54:45bodies.
1:54:47There are no living ones.
1:54:49Well, that one is kind of living but not
1:54:52for long.
1:54:53She amended.
1:54:55How so?
1:54:56Carl asked as he moved forward and the
1:54:59cleric hurried to join him.
1:55:01The man was one who had been pulled from
1:55:03his seat by Ray and his body was twisted
1:55:05in an unnatural way with blood bubbling
1:55:07from his lips as he struggled to
1:55:09breathe.
1:55:10The cleric got right to work casting a
1:55:12healing spell on him and then forcing a
1:55:15potion into his mouth to stabilize his
1:55:17condition.
1:55:18Carl hadn't realized that the clergy
1:55:20could do that.
1:55:22Bringing a man back from that close to
1:55:23the edge of death was worthy of being
1:55:25called a miracle and it was happening
1:55:27all over as the other cleric and the
1:55:29students were working to save the clergy
1:55:30guards who had been mauled by the drakes
1:55:32or who had taken a magical arrow.
1:55:35The drakes were faster than the
1:55:36helicopters and both were rapidly fading
1:55:39into the distance as the clergy did
1:55:40their work saving one attacker and most
1:55:43of their guards.
1:55:44Then they waited.
1:55:46And waited some more until the special
1:55:48forces team gave up the chase and
1:55:50returned a half hour later.
1:55:52From the look on their faces as they
1:55:54stepped out of the helicopter it was not
1:55:56a triumphant return and the Drake riders
1:55:58had escaped their pursuit but it was
1:56:00still good to see them.
1:56:02Priests students and who might these be?
1:56:06The large man leading the Inquisition
1:56:07team asked.
1:56:09A gathering team from the Divine Golden
1:56:11Academy led by the awakened students
1:56:13Carl and Dana here to gather herbs sir.
1:56:17Carl replied as he was the closest of
1:56:19their team members.
1:56:21Two awakened team leaders for a resource
1:56:23gathering mission.
1:56:25The Inquisitor asked.
1:56:27Yes sir.
1:56:29We're all in our first year so they sent
1:56:31an extra awakened member on this common
1:56:33grade mission to make up for our
1:56:35inexperience.
1:56:37Carl explained.
1:56:38That seemed to be enough to mollify the
1:56:40Inquisitor who just nodded in
1:56:42satisfaction as he looked over the team.
1:56:45It looks like you're all the leaders of
1:56:46this year's class.
1:56:48Congratulations on your acceptance by
1:56:50the Divine Serum.
1:56:52The Inquisitor replied.
1:56:55The world dragon smiles upon us.
1:56:58Carl agreed.
1:56:59The two cleric students who had been
1:57:01with him nodded enthusiastically and
1:57:03even the Inquisition smirked at that
1:57:05reverent response.
1:57:07The group had discovered two dragon
1:57:08priests more correctly a priest and a
1:57:11priestess as the Inquisitors began to
1:57:13realize.
1:57:15If that wasn't proof of the world
1:57:16dragon's favor then he wasn't sure what
1:57:18qualified.
1:57:20We will need to extract the entire team
1:57:22at this time.
1:57:24Notification has been sent to the Divine
1:57:26Golden Academy and they will come to
1:57:28recover their students once we have had
1:57:29an opportunity to speak.
1:57:31The Inquisition team leader announced
1:57:33with a gesture toward the helicopter.
1:57:36The clerics looked nervous which made
1:57:38everyone else nervous as well.
1:57:41What did they know that nobody else did?
1:57:43The team hadn't done anything wrong so
1:57:45surely there was no need to be
1:57:47frightened Carl thought as he called
1:57:49Hawk and Ray back into their space for
1:57:51the trip.
1:57:52Both had stolen Drake bodies for later
1:57:54which someone would certainly notice as
1:57:56the scales were incredibly valuable but
1:57:59that could be discussed once they got
1:58:00back to the academy as they could also
1:58:02be counted as a strengthening resource.
1:58:05Many scaled beasts used potions with the
1:58:07scales of dragon type beasts to help
1:58:09their growth and Carl had Thor who might
1:58:12be able to get something from the
1:58:13exchange.
1:58:15Can you show me the marks?
1:58:17The leader of the rescue team asked
1:58:19looking at the two newly awakened
1:58:20clerics directly.
1:58:22They both pulled up their sleeves and
1:58:24the man smiled then gestured toward the
1:58:26helicopter.
1:58:28Everyone in.
1:58:30We've waited here long enough.
1:58:32As soon as everyone was in the large
1:58:34twin bladed helicopter it began to move
1:58:37not even waiting for them to get buckled
1:58:39into their seats.
1:58:41This matter must have been a bigger deal
1:58:42than what Carl or any of the others had
1:58:44suspected and they hadn't even been
1:58:46asked about the holy relic yet.
1:58:49They only flew a few minutes before they
1:58:51landed at a large cathedral surrounded
1:58:53by low stone buildings that were built
1:58:55in the middle of nowhere.
1:58:57This was the Seminary Academy where the
1:58:59clerics trained their new clergy and
1:59:01raised orphan children who were left in
1:59:02their care.
1:59:04Only a promising few would get the
1:59:06preferential treatment that the six
1:59:07students in the helicopter had, but they
1:59:09would all be given the divine serum when
1:59:11they came of age to determine if they
1:59:13would continue a mundane life or start
1:59:15moving on to bigger things.
1:59:17It is unorthodox to have students awaken
1:59:19outside the ceremony, but with the
1:59:21presence of holy relics, it is not
1:59:24unheard of.
1:59:25There is one in this school as well, and
1:59:27it is known to grant boons to those who
1:59:29the world dragon favors.
1:59:31That is the first place we will be
1:59:33going.
1:59:34The response of the world dragon temple
1:59:36will tell us much about you.
1:59:38The leader of the inquisition team
1:59:40informed them.
1:59:42They were led out of the helicopter and
1:59:43toward a small golden building with
1:59:45ramped corners that reminded everyone of
1:59:47the stairs at the trial site.
1:59:50Is there something familiar about this
1:59:51place?
1:59:53The inquisitor nearest to Carl asked.
1:59:56The stairs.
1:59:57The trial instance that we were in was a
1:59:59golden pyramid temple with staircases up
2:00:01the four sides like the ones on the
2:00:03corners of the building here.
2:00:05Carl quietly answered trying not to
2:00:07disturb the peaceful vibe of the area.
2:00:10The man didn't say anything more as they
2:00:12were led into the small temple, and the
2:00:14two newly awakened students immediately
2:00:16began to glow with golden light before
2:00:18their robes changed from student uniform
2:00:20robes to more ornate cleric habits in a
2:00:22gold over black double layered fashion.
2:00:25Carl felt a weight around his neck and
2:00:27found that he was wearing a simple
2:00:29golden dragon shaped pendant, but when
2:00:31he tried to touch it, he discovered that
2:00:33it was some form of illusion and not
2:00:35solid at all.
2:00:37The inquisitors moved through the group
2:00:39looking them all over for some sign of
2:00:41the world dragon's favor, and then
2:00:43quietly escorted the other four students
2:00:45out of the room.
2:00:47They weren't taken anywhere, just left
2:00:49by the door which was closed in front of
2:00:51them without a word.
2:00:53Only when the doors were sealed and the
2:00:54priests who had been in the temple had
2:00:56moved to guard them did the inquisitor
2:00:57speak.
2:00:59It appears true that you all did undergo
2:01:01in a holy relic.
2:01:03Those pendants are a mark of lingering
2:01:05favor, and the design tells us how you
2:01:07did in the trial.
2:01:09Congratulations to you all, and we do
2:01:11hope that you enjoy the rewards granted
2:01:13for your hard work.
2:01:15Now, we will be bringing you
2:01:16individually to speak of your
2:01:18experiences so that we can get a clear
2:01:20picture of what the holy relic is and
2:01:21how it functions, or possibly when it
2:01:23might open again.
2:01:25A team has already gone to secure the
2:01:27location, and they will verify your
2:01:29stories.
2:01:31The inquisition team leader informed
2:01:33them.
2:01:34That explained why the others were sent
2:01:36out.
2:01:37They weren't with the team, and they
2:01:39didn't have the rank of the priests to
2:01:40stay in the room and hear such sensitive
2:01:42information.
2:01:44Who would like to go first?
2:01:46The inquisitor asked.
2:01:48Carl raised his hand.
2:01:50I will go first if there are no
2:01:52objections.
2:01:54The students looked nervous as Carl was
2:01:56led into the other room where two large
2:01:58men, shirtless in black leather pants,
2:02:00were standing on either side of a metal
2:02:02chair with armrests.
2:02:04Carl wasn't an idiot. He knew that this
2:02:07was an interrogation room, not at a
2:02:08friendly meeting with new friends room,
2:02:10but as long as he explained clearly, he
2:02:13didn't see any reason for there to be a
2:02:14problem.
2:02:16Most of the intimidation of the room
2:02:18came from the knowledge that you had
2:02:19something to hide, and Carl really
2:02:21didn't have many secrets.
2:02:23At least he assumed that was why it was
2:02:25supposed to be horrifying, as the room
2:02:27was immaculately clean with no signs of
2:02:30prior use other than the scuff marks on
2:02:32the floor by the chair.
2:02:34The man who escorted him and gave Carl a
2:02:36friendly smile as he settled into a
2:02:38folding chair facing the metal one Carl
2:02:40was led to.
2:02:42All right, let's start at the beginning.
2:02:44I mean the very beginning.
2:02:47Who are you? Where are you from? And
2:02:49what was your life like before you found
2:02:50out that you were compatible with the
2:02:52divine serum?
2:02:53The inquisitor began.
2:02:56Well, my name is Carl.
2:02:58The working people of the mines don't
2:03:00customarily give family names.
2:03:02I am in the first year at the academy
2:03:04now from the most recent batch of serum
2:03:07candidates.
2:03:08I was going to school on the standard
2:03:10four-day schedule and working six
2:03:11quarter shifts in the minor week as the
2:03:14rules allow for students.
2:03:16I can't say things were all that bad. My
2:03:18mother was a good cook, and my parents
2:03:20hadn't run up any debts that I know of.
2:03:23Carl began, then paused unsure what else
2:03:26the man might want.
2:03:28The inquisitor nodded.
2:03:30You don't hold any resentment against
2:03:32the mine owner.
2:03:33Carl shook his head.
2:03:36I've never even met the man.
2:03:38Or perhaps it's a woman.
2:03:40The foreman is a good guy, though.
2:03:43His daughter was in my class, but she
2:03:45didn't have the compatibility.
2:03:47How has your time at the golden divine
2:03:49academy been?
2:03:51Are you making friends?
2:03:53Carl smiled.
2:03:55Very much so.
2:03:57I've been advancing faster than most, so
2:03:59I keep getting moved between training
2:04:01programs, and everywhere I go I meet
2:04:03more good people.
2:04:05Why do you think that is?
2:04:07The inquisitor asked taking notes on a
2:04:09paper pad.
2:04:11I have a theory that everyone who gains
2:04:12the favor of the world dragon has
2:04:14something in common.
2:04:16Have you noticed that there are
2:04:17suspiciously few douchebags in the first
2:04:19year classes?
2:04:21Maybe not.
2:04:22I don't know if you were a student.
2:04:25But the truly cruel and the bullies
2:04:27don't seem to have made the cut.
2:04:29Carl explained.
2:04:31The inquisitor looked like he was about
2:04:32to laugh at Carl's seemingly naive
2:04:34response, but as he thought about it, it
2:04:37was true of the first years.
2:04:39They came in decent and only really
2:04:41devolved as the year went on and the
2:04:43power differences began to appear, which
2:04:46caused resentment, bitterness, and envy.
2:04:49By the second year, the cliques had
2:04:51fully formed, but at the start of the
2:04:53first year, as Carl was experiencing,
2:04:55his classmates would all still be
2:04:57somewhat starstruck and hopeful.
2:05:00Now, I need every single detail of your
2:05:02mission.
2:05:03The wording, everyone involved in its
2:05:05assignment, and anything else you can
2:05:07think of.
2:05:08The inquisitor demanded turning serious,
2:05:11but softening his voice enough that it
2:05:13didn't sound like a threat.
2:05:15Carl thought about the question.
2:05:17Who all had been involved?
2:05:20I proposed to my personal tutor,
2:05:22Sergeant Rita, that it would be better
2:05:23for my development if I could get out
2:05:25for some practical training.
2:05:27There is only so much I can do in the
2:05:29limited environment of the academy, and
2:05:31she discussed it with the agents from
2:05:32the Bureau of Elite Development who
2:05:34agreed to the mission and picked the one
2:05:36I was assigned to.
2:05:38The inquisitor looked confused.
2:05:41What was a bureau agent doing there?
2:05:44Carl shrugged.
2:05:45There are two of them assigned to me.
2:05:48One is there all the time, either a mage
2:05:50or a warrior.
2:05:52They took me on the trip to find my
2:05:53second and third beasts, then approved
2:05:56this as my first student mission.
2:05:58The inquisitor looked like he was
2:05:59getting a headache.
2:06:01Back up a step.
2:06:03When did the Bureau first start showing
2:06:05an interest in you?
2:06:07Carl shrugged.
2:06:08A few weeks ago.
2:06:10At least that was when I noticed because
2:06:12they sent Colonel Valerie to escort me
2:06:14and Dana to a training day on the
2:06:16Saturday.
2:06:17One of the two goons left the room for a
2:06:19moment, and the inquisitor waited not
2:06:21asking any more questions.
2:06:24A few minutes later, the man came back
2:06:26in with a picture in his hands and a man
2:06:28in a business suit.
2:06:30Do you know who is in that picture?
2:06:33The inquisitor asked.
2:06:35Carl looked over and smiled.
2:06:38That's Jody, one of the bureau agents.
2:06:41Real playboy vibe, but he's actually a
2:06:43good guy.
2:06:45He was on the mission to find me the
2:06:46additional pet and at the training
2:06:48course.
2:06:49The man in the suit pocketed the picture
2:06:51while the shirtless man returned to his
2:06:53position.
2:06:54Then the door opened again, and a
2:06:56familiar face entered the room.
2:06:59Overlord Drake walked into the room with
2:07:01an expressionless professionalism,
2:07:02letting his powerful aura fill the area,
2:07:05which made the others visibly shrink
2:07:06back a bit.
2:07:08Not Carl.
2:07:09He had nowhere to go in the metal chair,
2:07:12but he already knew that the man was
2:07:13simply intimidating, and that had
2:07:15nothing to do with his mood.
2:07:17Overlord.
2:07:19He greeted politely.
2:07:21Oh, it's you again.
2:07:23How is that skill working out for you?
2:07:26Got you all powered up and looking to
2:07:28join the inquisition in your first year
2:07:29at the academy.
2:07:31The powerful man asked unaware of the
2:07:33situation.
2:07:35We called you down here to use your
2:07:37skills to help determine truthfulness,
2:07:39as the Bureau of Elite Development has
2:07:41gotten involved with a first year
2:07:42student.
2:07:43The inquisitor announced.
2:07:46The burly man looked a bit sheepish.
2:07:49That might be my fault.
2:07:51They were the talk of the academy when I
2:07:53visited with the prince, which led to us
2:07:55teaching them a couple of new skills,
2:07:57and probably attracted the attention of
2:07:58the Bureau.
2:08:00The inquisitor definitely looked like he
2:08:02was getting annoyed now.
2:08:04All right, it appears that there are
2:08:05numerous details left out of your
2:08:07accounting of your time at the academy.
2:08:10It's only been a little over a month. I
2:08:12thought that we had covered everything.
2:08:14Now, let's start over.
2:08:17What did you learn as an additional
2:08:18skill?
2:08:20Where did they take you looking for
2:08:21pets, and what did you pick?
2:08:23The inquisitor asked.
2:08:25Overlord Drake perked up a little at
2:08:27that.
2:08:29Carl could see the curiosity in his
2:08:30expression.
2:08:32I learned shred as an additional skill
2:08:34from a skill book provided by Overlord
2:08:36Drake.
2:08:37The team from the Bureau took me south
2:08:39to get pets, and I picked a lightning
2:08:41serow and a bloodbath spider.
2:08:44There is an official report made.
2:08:46Carl explained.
2:08:48The shirtless man went and got a laptop
2:08:50computer out of the cabinet at the back
2:08:52of the room, and the inquisitor tapped
2:08:54away as he logged in and opened the
2:08:56report.
2:08:57You had quite the adventure.
2:08:59Oh, All right, that should be enough of
2:09:01the background.
2:09:03What happened on this mission?
2:09:05Where is the high priest's body and how
2:09:07did you find the holy relic?
2:09:09I have the body stored.
2:09:11Do you have something?
2:09:13I had to put it in a bag to store it
2:09:15with my beast and it's a bit
2:09:17undignified.
2:09:18The Inquisitor looked mildly horrified
2:09:21but gestured to the floor.
2:09:23Is it intact and whole?
2:09:25Place it there.
2:09:27It isn't.
2:09:28The giant beetle that killed him ate
2:09:30part of the body.
2:09:32Carl replied then placed the
2:09:34blood-soaked bag on the floor.
2:09:36Overlord Drake cussed and made the
2:09:38symbol of the dragon with his thumbs
2:09:40crossed and his fingers spread to
2:09:42imitate the wings of the world dragon.
2:09:45The Inquisitor seemed unfazed and didn't
2:09:47bother to open the bag.
2:09:50So, it wasn't the thought of blood that
2:09:52had horrified him but more likely the
2:09:54idea of being eaten alive by a giant
2:09:56beetle.
2:09:57Thank you for recovering the body.
2:10:00Now, details.
2:10:02Carl recounted everything from getting
2:10:04off the train to meeting the clerics and
2:10:06then stopped when they got to the part
2:10:08when they were pulled into the trial
2:10:09instance.
2:10:11Astounding.
2:10:12Now, the rest of the details.
2:10:15Carl spent over an hour answering
2:10:17questions about the trials, his
2:10:19experiences and what he thought they
2:10:21meant.
2:10:22And the reward that you got was a class
2:10:24skill.
2:10:25You're certain that it said class skill?
2:10:28The Inquisitor asked.
2:10:30It called it a tamer skill.
2:10:32Which I assume is the trials' name for
2:10:34my abilities.
2:10:36It wasn't just a regular skill or named
2:10:38like an offensive or defensive skill.
2:10:41Carl explained.
2:10:43Interesting.
2:10:45But not my department.
2:10:47Possibly Overlord Drake's.
2:10:50The Inquisitor replied.
2:10:52Then they asked what he knew about the
2:10:54other students' rewards before a group
2:10:56of six men showed up with an ornate
2:10:58metal casket.
2:11:00Um, you'll want to clean him first.
2:11:02I didn't want to mess with anything.
2:11:05Carl explained.
2:11:07A flood of golden magic flowed from the
2:11:09man with the casket and the blood
2:11:10vanished from the bag which stretched
2:11:12out to human proportions before lifting
2:11:14off the ground and vanishing into the
2:11:16casket which was closed and then sealed
2:11:18shut with some sort of solder and a
2:11:20torch.
2:11:21All right, I think that we're done here.
2:11:24The Inquisitor announced.
2:11:26Overlord Drake raised a hand to stop him
2:11:29as he went to stand.
2:11:31Carl realized that he had no idea how
2:11:33the Overlord was supposed to have
2:11:34verified his truthfulness but not all
2:11:36skills could be seen so maybe he was
2:11:39like a lie detector.
2:11:41First, I want to see how the pets are
2:11:43doing.
2:11:44You said a lightning serow and a
2:11:46bloodbath spider as well as Hawk, right?
2:11:49Carl nodded.
2:11:51Yes, sir.
2:11:53He called the three out with Hawk
2:11:55appearing on the back of the chair and
2:11:57Ray in his lap covering far more than
2:11:59the available space so her front four
2:12:01legs were standing on the ground which
2:12:03put her face perilously close to the
2:12:05other chair.
2:12:06Thor stood between Carl and Drake giving
2:12:09the man a pleading look that Carl
2:12:10recognized as a desire to have his head
2:12:12rubbed completely oblivious to the
2:12:14normally serious mood of such an
2:12:16interview.
2:12:17Drake smiled and scratched at the ridge
2:12:19between his upper horns which brought a
2:12:21soft bugling noise of pleasure from the
2:12:23lightning serow.
2:12:25Well, aren't you just the most lovely
2:12:27big boy?
2:12:29But Hawk has gotten huge.
2:12:31The newer two have some growing left to
2:12:33do but for what it matters, I approve of
2:12:35your choices.
2:12:37They look loyal and they're well
2:12:39balanced to each other's strengths.
2:12:41I would ask more about the matter but
2:12:43the colonel would cause a fuss if she
2:12:45thought that we were interfering with
2:12:46your training.
2:12:48Now, I will go see that mage.
2:12:50Excuse me, gentlemen.
2:12:53Drake announced walking out of the room
2:12:55and leaving Thor to the Inquisitor to
2:12:57replace his source of attention.
2:12:59I believe that we have enough here.
2:13:02Thank you, Carl.
2:13:04I will escort you back to the waiting
2:13:06room.
2:13:07The waiting room was full of terrified
2:13:09students huddled together for some sense
2:13:11of safety.
2:13:12They looked up when Carl returned then
2:13:14got confused when he didn't seem to be
2:13:16bothered by the situation and that he
2:13:18had Thor next to him who was headbutting
2:13:20the Inquisitor looking for affection.
2:13:23The man gave Carl a look of annoyance
2:13:26and Carl patted Thor on the side before
2:13:28sending him to the beast space.
2:13:30The little show of escorting him back
2:13:32was probably intended to either
2:13:34intimidate or pressure the other
2:13:35students but Thor had messed up the
2:13:37impression that the Inquisitor was going
2:13:39for with his innate sense of who was
2:13:40actually a threat.
2:13:42That is everyone except student Dana who
2:13:45is still speaking with the Overlord and
2:13:47will be back momentarily.
2:13:49Once she arrives, we will settle you
2:13:51into rooms for the evening.
2:13:53It might not be at the plush standards
2:13:55of the Golden Divine Academy as the
2:13:57church takes vows of poverty but I can
2:13:59assure you that they will be warm and
2:14:01there will be dinner served soon.
2:14:03The Inquisitor announced as Carl moved
2:14:05to join the others.
2:14:07Dana was only seconds behind them with a
2:14:09smile on her face and an Inquisitor
2:14:11beside her.
2:14:12That's everyone then.
2:14:14Let's get a move on. I have things to
2:14:16do.
2:14:17The leader of the Inquisition team
2:14:19announced.
2:14:21The Inquisitor led them out the door and
2:14:23then a group of clerics in simple gray
2:14:25robes marking them as acolytes, the
2:14:27common workers of the churches, led them
2:14:29to a large dorm room.
2:14:32This is for the males other than the one
2:14:34called Carl.
2:14:35The acolyte leading them announced.
2:14:38The boys filed in with another of the
2:14:40acolytes stepping into explain
2:14:42everything to them.
2:14:44Then the remainder of the group turned
2:14:45down a corridor where the trim on the
2:14:47wall turned from blue to orange.
2:14:49This room is for the women other than
2:14:51Dana.
2:14:52A female acolyte announced.
2:14:55The girls waved goodbye to Carl and Dana
2:14:58leaving them with just one female
2:14:59acolyte.
2:15:01Your rooms are upstairs.
2:15:03You have both been registered as
2:15:05awakened elites already and that means
2:15:07you stay on the second floor.
2:15:09She explained apologetically.
2:15:12That's fine.
2:15:13As long as there is food and a bed, I'm
2:15:16satisfied.
2:15:17Carl agreed.
2:15:19It is quiet here which is a pleasant
2:15:21change from the academy.
2:15:23It's always so loud with everyone
2:15:25training.
2:15:26Dana agreed.
2:15:28The room was a small cloister room just
2:15:31a bed with a symbol of the world dragon
2:15:32on the wall and a small desk that used
2:15:34the bed as a chair due to the limited
2:15:36space.
2:15:38But it was a private room which was
2:15:40something.
2:15:41With the thick stone walls of the
2:15:43seminary academy, it was even properly
2:15:45private to some extent.
2:15:48The window in the wall had no shutter so
2:15:50if there was someone outside looking in,
2:15:52it wasn't all that private but the
2:15:54natural light was a blessing in what
2:15:55would otherwise be a stuffy stone cell.
2:15:58Carl relaxed on the bed for a while
2:16:00until a knock at his door informed him
2:16:02of a guest.
2:16:04Awakened, Carl.
2:16:06Your presence has been requested.
2:16:09The man informed him simply.
2:16:11Lead the way.
2:16:13Carl replied unsure what this was all
2:16:15about.
2:16:17He had a sneaking suspicion that this
2:16:18was going to be some sort of turf war
2:16:20between the church and the bureau or
2:16:22possibly the military that he was
2:16:24getting dragged into.
2:16:26But when he reached the destination and
2:16:28the acolyte stopped and gestured for him
2:16:29to go through a large door arch, there
2:16:32was nobody inside what looked like the
2:16:33seminary academy's library.
2:16:36It might be some sort of prank common
2:16:38with the clergy, a form of hazing but
2:16:40Carl doubted it.
2:16:42Even if they ditched him here, he knew
2:16:44his way back and there was no actual
2:16:46door in the archway to lock him in the
2:16:47library.
2:16:49After a few seconds, Carl heard voices
2:16:51up ahead so he moved forward to see who
2:16:54had called for him.
2:16:56It was clearly an argument but the
2:16:57content of the argument was quite
2:16:59interesting to Carl causing him to pause
2:17:01for a moment before entering.
2:17:04It's not possible that there would be
2:17:05two reigning dragon priests at the same
2:17:07time.
2:17:08I am telling you that the oracle wasn't
2:17:10wrong.
2:17:12One of them is not going to take over
2:17:13the church.
2:17:15The other has another fate serving the
2:17:17world dragon's interests.
2:17:19One soft female voice was insisting.
2:17:22An angry male voice replied.
2:17:25Do you think that we can just let
2:17:27someone of that potential wander around
2:17:28outside the church's supervision?
2:17:31No, they must both be raised as the heir
2:17:33to their patron.
2:17:35That is the fate of all dragon priests.
2:17:38Carl sensed that one of them had noticed
2:17:40him so he knocked on the bookshelf
2:17:42closest to him and stepped around the
2:17:44corner.
2:17:45Apologies for intruding. I was informed
2:17:47that I was summoned.
2:17:49Carl informed the two people sitting in
2:17:51the padded chairs at the back of the
2:17:53library.
2:17:54You were.
2:17:56Please, come sit.
2:17:58I have questions for you that only you
2:18:00might be able to answer.
2:18:02The woman in fancy layered robes replied
2:18:05with a smile.
2:18:06Carl took a seat to the side between the
2:18:08two settling into the soft leather with
2:18:10a sigh of pleasure.
2:18:12The woman paused to gather her thoughts
2:18:14then turned a brilliant smile at Carl
2:18:16that had both Hawk and Thor hissing in
2:18:18displeasure while Ray took it as a
2:18:20personal challenge and nearly charged
2:18:22out before Carl could stop her.
2:18:25Calm down. She's not going to attack us
2:18:27here.
2:18:28Carl informed them.
2:18:30The smile seemed friendly enough but the
2:18:32beasts had all taken it as a threat from
2:18:35a predator and that put Carl on guard
2:18:37though he did his best to keep a neutral
2:18:39smile.
2:18:40I am told that you gained a golden chest
2:18:42from the trial instance that you were
2:18:44the only one who gained that level of
2:18:46recognition.
2:18:47She began.
2:18:49She seemed sincere and Carl wondered
2:18:51whether he had mentioned that Dana had
2:18:53as well.
2:18:54It didn't seem to have come up in
2:18:56conversation, so perhaps nobody knew.
2:18:59I got a golden chest. Yes.
2:19:02Carl agreed.
2:19:04Two dragon priests were awakened there,
2:19:06and yet the trial instance didn't give
2:19:08them a level of recognition as great as
2:19:10yours.
2:19:11Why do you think that was?
2:19:14She asked while the man sat silently,
2:19:16still brooding about their previous
2:19:18argument.
2:19:19I believe it was because the rewards
2:19:21were based on power.
2:19:23If there was someone of commander rank
2:19:25or higher in the group, we likely would
2:19:27have seen a fourth type of box
2:19:28generated.
2:19:30Carl replied.
2:19:32That seemed like the most probable cause
2:19:34to him anyhow.
2:19:36Three ranks would suggest that you were
2:19:37at the ascended rank and not the
2:19:39awakened rank.
2:19:41The man spoke slowly.
2:19:43Carl shrugged.
2:19:45I am on the high side of awakened.
2:19:48I don't presume to know how the holy
2:19:49relic sorts or rewards its visitors. I
2:19:52was just guessing based on who got which
2:19:53types of box.
2:19:55A very political answer.
2:19:58It appears that the bureau has been
2:19:59training you well.
2:20:01Let me rephrase that.
2:20:03The skill that it gave you, you
2:20:05described it as a way to teach beasts.
2:20:08If I brought a beast here, could you
2:20:10teach it a skill?
2:20:11She asked.
2:20:13If it was compatible with one that I
2:20:15know, it should be possible.
2:20:17That is what the skill said.
2:20:20I haven't had a chance to test it.
2:20:22Carl agreed.
2:20:24The man whistled, and an Akomada, a
2:20:26two-tailed magical cat, came over and
2:20:29stood in front of Carl.
2:20:31It must have been listening to their
2:20:32conversation to have gotten there that
2:20:34quickly, and it looked intrigued by the
2:20:36topic.
2:20:37I want you to teach her a skill.
2:20:40Any skill you know.
2:20:42As you may be aware, their innate skill
2:20:44is stealth, so it won't interfere with
2:20:46your options.
2:20:48The priestess demanded, and her eyes
2:20:50turned as gray as her hair.
2:20:52How about rend?
2:20:54You have lovely claws. Do you think that
2:20:56you could learn to rend?
2:20:58Carl asked, addressing the cat directly.
2:21:01It looked confused, so Carl focused on
2:21:04his new skill.
2:21:06Magical runes appeared in his vision,
2:21:08and a few seconds later Carl began to
2:21:10understand what he had to do.
2:21:12The ability was cast on the animal, then
2:21:14you had to show it the skill you wanted
2:21:16it to learn, and have it practice for a
2:21:18period of time, unless you knew the
2:21:20skill well enough that the teaching
2:21:21ability would let you transfer the
2:21:23knowledge directly.
2:21:25But the only way to know if you had that
2:21:26level of expertise was to try, so when
2:21:29the cat made an affirmative noise, Carl
2:21:31tried his best to activate the skill
2:21:33with rend attached.
2:21:35It worked, in a way.
2:21:37The magic seeped into the cat, who
2:21:39looked perplexed about what was going on
2:21:40around it and stared off into space for
2:21:42five solid minutes while nobody said
2:21:45anything.
2:21:46Then, suddenly, it raised a paw and a
2:21:49faint light surrounded the four short
2:21:51claws.
2:21:52That is the saddest excuse for rend that
2:21:54I have ever seen.
2:21:56Even the first day that I taught it to
2:21:58you, you did better.
2:22:00Hawk laughed in Carl's mind.
2:22:02That is rend.
2:22:04I am certain of it.
2:22:06Carl offered while the two clergy
2:22:08members stared at the proud Akomada.
2:22:11They were silent for a few more seconds
2:22:13as the cat swung its paw about, testing
2:22:16the ability.
2:22:17It was an awakened rank beast, but the
2:22:19skill was definitely not.
2:22:22It was barely there, a common grade
2:22:24skill that would need much more practice
2:22:26or instruction to be truly useful.
2:22:28So, it is not instant.
2:22:31That is a shame.
2:22:33The man finally replied with a sigh.
2:22:36That seemed like a lot to expect of a
2:22:37single skill from an awakened rank
2:22:39elite.
2:22:41Maybe they thought it was like a
2:22:42reusable skill book, and Carl could just
2:22:44stand there and teach hundreds of beasts
2:22:46a new skill in an hour.
2:22:48The look that the Akomada was giving the
2:22:50two high priests promised violence.
2:22:53It was very proud of the fact that it
2:22:54had learned a new skill, and the fact
2:22:56that it could activate it after one day
2:22:58was extremely impressive in the demon
2:23:00cat's mind.
2:23:02The new clerics took years to start
2:23:03using a new skill, and it had done so in
2:23:06a single hour.
2:23:07But these two still had the nerve to
2:23:09look down on its learning rate.
2:23:12If they weren't the ones who fed it, the
2:23:13cat was seriously considering clawing
2:23:15their eyes out to show them just how
2:23:17impressive its new skill could be.
2:23:20Carl cleared his throat and nodded
2:23:22politely to the Akomada.
2:23:24It's a brand new skill.
2:23:26The beasts that I teach will know the
2:23:28skill itself, but it's not an innate
2:23:30ability.
2:23:31Just like with students, even if they
2:23:33know it, it takes time to do it
2:23:35properly.
2:23:36It's a bit of a shame that I can't grant
2:23:38them that experience instantly like a
2:23:40skill book, but it's still pretty
2:23:41impressive, I think, and with practice
2:23:44you will have the first of a kind
2:23:45Akomada with rending claws.
2:23:48He might have actually made things
2:23:49worse, as now that the cat realized that
2:23:52someone was on its side, its glare at
2:23:54the two clergy members was even more
2:23:55intense, but the man just dismissed it
2:23:58with a wave.
2:23:59You can go now, fur ball.
2:24:02Yes, it is actually quite impressive,
2:24:04but not what we were hoping for.
2:24:07Thank you for your time. You can return
2:24:09to your room.
2:24:10Carl took that as a dismissal and turned
2:24:13to walk out of the library, where he
2:24:14found Overlord Drake standing outside
2:24:16the archway.
2:24:18The Overlord quietly gestured for Carl
2:24:20to accompany him, making it quite
2:24:22obvious that he wanted to talk, but not
2:24:24where they would so easily be overheard
2:24:26by the pair that were sitting in the
2:24:27library's back room.
2:24:29Whether those two would be able to
2:24:31actually hear them was a mystery to
2:24:32Carl.
2:24:34They weren't elites, but the majors
2:24:36professor back at the academy did have
2:24:37hearing that was well beyond anything
2:24:39that he would associate with normal
2:24:41human senses as a result of his magic.
2:24:44So, it would not only be prudent, but
2:24:46also polite to move away from the
2:24:48library before they began to talk at
2:24:50all.
2:24:51They turned into a nondescript hallway,
2:24:53and the Overlord smiled down at Carl,
2:24:55doing his best to make his smile
2:24:57reassuring and not intimidating.
2:25:00They're a pleasant pair, aren't they?
2:25:02Don't mind them too much. They've got
2:25:04very little affinity for living things
2:25:06and much prefer historical scrolls.
2:25:09I was speaking to the colonel while you
2:25:11were in there, and she's got a much
2:25:12higher opinion of your potential skills
2:25:14and a plan to make them work for you,
2:25:16not some grand plan to supplement the
2:25:18clergy guard.
2:25:20Carl took a moment to take in what he
2:25:21had heard while Drake nodded
2:25:23reassuringly.
2:25:25I take it they didn't mention that part.
2:25:28They wanted to add a tamed animal for
2:25:29each guard, like service dogs or the old
2:25:32war dogs, but magical beasts.
2:25:35But there is a reason that neither of
2:25:36them is on the security council, and
2:25:38they don't have the patience needed to
2:25:40train new soldiers, much less new
2:25:42soldiers who can work together with
2:25:44magical beasts.
2:25:45Drake chuckled quietly.
2:25:48Then they should have been looking into
2:25:49faster ways to get the animals to bond,
2:25:51not faster ways to improve their power,
2:25:54shouldn't they?
2:25:55I mean, the hard part is getting the
2:25:57magical beasts to like people.
2:26:00Carl suggested.
2:26:02Exactly.
2:26:03But there are promotions to replace a
2:26:05few aging bishops coming up, and those
2:26:07who have a shot are all scrambling to do
2:26:09something impressive enough to earn a
2:26:11seat.
2:26:12But you didn't hear that from me.
2:26:14The Overlord rank warrior explained as
2:26:16he led Carl down a series of hallways.
2:26:20Dinner is this way, but you and Dana
2:26:22will be pulled away from your team for
2:26:23the evening.
2:26:25There are people here that you should
2:26:26meet and who you will likely be working
2:26:28with in the future.
2:26:30All the clerics come from this school,
2:26:32and they're an invaluable asset to every
2:26:34major mission team, as well as the
2:26:36emergency response events.
2:26:38Since the two of you are both awakened
2:26:40rank with a solid chance of reaching
2:26:42ascended by the end of the year with the
2:26:44good fortune that you've had, I thought
2:26:46it best that you meet some potential
2:26:47party members.
2:26:49Drake explained.
2:26:51I appreciate it, sir.
2:26:53But might I ask, what brought you here?
2:26:56I thought that you were attached to the
2:26:58prince in a way.
2:27:00Carl replied.
2:27:02You brought me here.
2:27:03Or rather, your team did.
2:27:06I was called to the emergency response
2:27:08to secure the holy relic as soon as it
2:27:10was reported, and we were on site before
2:27:12the team even made it back here with
2:27:13you.
2:27:15We searched the area while you were
2:27:16being questioned, and the bishop that we
2:27:18brought with us confirmed the intense
2:27:20concentration of holy magic right where
2:27:22you later said it would be.
2:27:24The cavern is now under constant
2:27:25security and will remain that way until
2:27:28we determine when it will open again.
2:27:30The find has been attributed to a
2:27:32combined effort of the seminary and
2:27:33elite academies, but you all will
2:27:35probably get another reward when you get
2:27:37back, just so that nobody gets ideas
2:27:39about making the matter public or trying
2:27:41to claim individual glory.
2:27:44He informed Carl with a knowing smile.
2:27:47There was always someone who was more
2:27:48eager for fame, and it might have been
2:27:50Carl if he hadn't seen the outcome of
2:27:52that choice on the fate stairs.
2:27:54I didn't expect the church school to
2:27:56have so many levels of politics going
2:27:58on.
2:27:59Carl whispered as they walked, and the
2:28:01big Overlord burst into laughter.
2:28:04Oh, your academy is just as bad. They
2:28:07just put on a better front.
2:28:09The clergy are terrible at poker, and
2:28:11they can't hide their intentions from
2:28:13anyone with eyes.
2:28:15At the Golden Divine Academy, the real
2:28:17heavyweights of politics do their
2:28:18scheming.
2:28:20I thought that you would know that by
2:28:21now.
2:28:23Carl smiled and shook his head.
2:28:25I knew that.
2:28:27I just didn't expect it here.
2:28:29You know, white robes and virtue, all of
2:28:32that.
2:28:33Drake kept laughing and patted him on
2:28:35the back.
2:28:37It's mostly harmless.
2:28:39You see, if they go off the rails, they
2:28:42lose their powers.
2:28:44Which brings us to to next thing you
2:28:45should know.
2:28:47When they begin a formal dinner with
2:28:48other ranked clerics, they will all glow
2:28:50for a second.
2:28:52They're checking each other for
2:28:53corruption or an inability to activate
2:28:56holy powers.
2:28:58It's like a fail-safe, the way that we
2:29:00check our weapons at the door.
2:29:02That was an amusing thought.
2:29:04Even without a weapon, they were
2:29:06weapons.
2:29:08But it was the thought that counted,
2:29:09Carl supposed.
2:29:11They stepped through the door into a
2:29:13mostly filled dining room, and a
2:29:14gray-robed acolyte announced their
2:29:16presence.
2:29:18Overlord Drake and Awaken Carl.
2:29:21He spoke simply, causing a few heads to
2:29:23turn and nod politely before they all
2:29:25registered that the man had said
2:29:26overlord.
2:29:28Being so far up the rankings, above even
2:29:30the royal and monarch rank elites that
2:29:32came after the commanders who made up
2:29:34the professors of the academy, Drake was
2:29:36owed a lot of respect.
2:29:38To the clergy, he was on par with one of
2:29:40their bishops walking into the room, but
2:29:42the way he behaved was without all the
2:29:44expectation of formality that normally
2:29:46accompanied his position.
2:29:48He was so informal about his power that
2:29:50even Carl had nearly forgotten that the
2:29:52man could physically level this entire
2:29:54academy in under a minute if he so
2:29:56wished.
2:29:57You're over there, with the other
2:29:59awakened.
2:30:00I'll be up on the stage with the
2:30:02headmaster.
2:30:03Good luck, and make good friends.
2:30:06Just like you, they need parties to go
2:30:08out on missions, but they're not the
2:30:10fighting sort, so if they can call on
2:30:12elites, it's better for everyone.
2:30:15Drake whispered, then gave Carl a gentle
2:30:17shove toward his table.
2:30:19Dana was already here, at a different
2:30:21table, and Carl hid a smile at the way
2:30:23that the clerics had arranged
2:30:25themselves.
2:30:26Her table was almost all boys, with only
2:30:29one other girl, while Carl's table was
2:30:31entirely girls.
2:30:33There were far more female clerics in
2:30:35the room than male, Carl noticed.
2:30:38Nearly four to one, in fact.
2:30:41Some of them would have been raised here
2:30:43and then shown an aptitude for holy
2:30:44magic, but not the serum. But the vast
2:30:47majority would have awakened to cleric
2:30:48type classes in the ceremony.
2:30:51A very short blonde girl stood up to
2:30:53greet Carl as he approached the table
2:30:55with his nameplate hanging from the back
2:30:56of a chair.
2:30:58Carl.
2:30:59Welcome. Please, come and join us.
2:31:03We were just discussing the
2:31:04opportunities to gather more herbs in
2:31:06the area around the new holy relic.
2:31:09We talked to the students you saved, and
2:31:11they said that there were more locations
2:31:12you didn't get to, and that you were
2:31:14careful not to destroy the ones you
2:31:16harvested.
2:31:17You have no idea how amazing that is.
2:31:20Even most of our students still manage
2:31:22to ruin the resource patches they find,
2:31:25and were reminded before every mission
2:31:26to harvest sustainably.
2:31:29Carl smiled back at the vertically
2:31:31challenged cleric.
2:31:33We're not the only group that needs
2:31:34those resources, and most of them will
2:31:36grow back in just a few months if we're
2:31:38careful.
2:31:39It's better not to ruin them so that we
2:31:41can return.
2:31:43Carl didn't miss the disapproving look
2:31:45that Dana gave him as he took his seat,
2:31:47with the bubbly blonde sitting next to
2:31:49him and discussing the difficulties of
2:31:50arranging a mission for clergy students.
2:31:53You see, since we're not fighters, we
2:31:55have to wait for a professor or a group
2:31:58of guards to be going to the region that
2:31:59we're looking to visit and convince them
2:32:01to help us with what we're after.
2:32:03Greed isn't encouraged among the church
2:32:05members, so it has to be for a good
2:32:07reason, and even then, it's up to the
2:32:09goodwill of others.
2:32:11Mostly, we only go out once or twice a
2:32:13year unless there is an awaken rank or
2:32:15higher mission for the elites, and they
2:32:17call on the clergy for a healer.
2:32:20She was explaining.
2:32:21So, that's how it works.
2:32:24My power grew faster than my knowledge
2:32:26of the wider world, you see.
2:32:28It's one of the side effects of reaching
2:32:30the awakened rank in the first year, but
2:32:32it is good to know that I can just call
2:32:34the school and request that they send
2:32:35out a healer.
2:32:37Carl replied with a polite smile.
2:32:40One of the girls across the table from
2:32:42him took out a sheet of paper and passed
2:32:44it across to him.
2:32:45You can ask for us personally.
2:32:48Most of the active elites, the ones who
2:32:50volunteer to go on higher ranked
2:32:52missions, have a preferred team.
2:32:54Obviously, we're still students, and
2:32:57we're not on one yet, but other than the
2:32:58end of semester social events, we don't
2:33:01get many chances to meet people from the
2:33:03other academy.
2:33:04It's not easy to make that sort of
2:33:06connection in a crowded hall with loud
2:33:08music and half the students drunk on
2:33:10some illicit punch.
2:33:12She explained, rolling her eyes so far
2:33:14that they were almost entirely white.
2:33:17While that does sound like it might be
2:33:18interesting, and like it might lead to a
2:33:20number of adventures, it doesn't sound
2:33:22like the sort of event to pick a quality
2:33:24party member.
2:33:26Carl replied, making one of the girls
2:33:28choke on her water, and the others
2:33:30struggled to keep their laughter from
2:33:31interrupting everyone's dinner.
2:33:34Carl flipped the paper over and found
2:33:36that it was a diagram of the table with
2:33:38everyone's names on it.
2:33:40That would be useful later when he was
2:33:41trying to remember who was who.
2:33:44The names were on the back of the
2:33:45chairs, so he couldn't see any of them
2:33:47while he was sitting, but with the sheet
2:33:49in front of him, he could cheat.
2:33:52Aren't you afraid of monsters?
2:33:54I heard that there are some terrifying
2:33:56ones out in the wilderness.
2:33:58The little blonde asked in a coy voice
2:34:00that had all her classmates wondering if
2:34:02she had forgotten that the professors
2:34:03could hear them.
2:34:05Oh, my specialty involves beasts.
2:34:08I have the most adorable pet named Ray.
2:34:11Carl suggested.
2:34:13Do it.
2:34:15Let me out.
2:34:16The spider demanded, eager to tease
2:34:18these strange new humans for a moment.
2:34:21Her thoughts were filled with the shock
2:34:23and horror that would surely ensue if
2:34:25someone as magnificent as her appeared
2:34:26in their world.
2:34:28It was rather dark in the dining hall,
2:34:30with a single overhead chandelier, but
2:34:32that was perfect for the dinner
2:34:34ambiance.
2:34:35Unfortunately for the students, it was
2:34:37also perfect for Ray.
2:34:39Can we meet them?
2:34:41I heard that you have pets, but I didn't
2:34:43realize that they were monsters.
2:34:46They won't attack, will they?
2:34:48The blonde asked, and Carl noticed Dana
2:34:51smirking at him from her table.
2:34:53Of course not.
2:34:55Ray is a very gentle and shy girl.
2:34:58She wouldn't harm a soul.
2:35:00Hawk is more solitary, but Thor, he
2:35:03likes to cuddle a bit too much, and his
2:35:05enthusiasm can overwhelm people.
2:35:08I'm not going out if I can't fly around
2:35:10the room.
2:35:11Hawk warned Carl before he could be
2:35:13involved in this game.
2:35:15Please let us see.
2:35:17It's not a common thing to see magical
2:35:19beasts here, other than the Nicomeda
2:35:20that prowls the grounds looking for
2:35:22students out of bed after hours.
2:35:25The blonde pleaded.
2:35:27Carl called Ray out behind him,
2:35:29forgetting just how large the bloodbath
2:35:31spider had gotten.
2:35:33There was no way that she was going to
2:35:34hide behind the chair without falling
2:35:36flat to the ground and changing her
2:35:38coloration, but she didn't intend to do
2:35:40that.
2:35:41Instead, she moved right to the girl's
2:35:43chair and stared at her, wondering if
2:35:45the girl had the nerve to stroke her
2:35:47head the way everyone did to Thor.
2:35:50There had to be something to it, or the
2:35:51big softy wouldn't keep demanding it.
2:35:54But she had never tried it herself.
2:35:57The girl's squeal of horror drew the
2:35:59attention of everyone in the room, and a
2:36:01number of clerics shot out of their
2:36:02chairs, preparing magic.
2:36:05It's not a threat.
2:36:07Ray is a pet, and they asked to meet
2:36:09her.
2:36:10Carl shouted, calming the clerics, while
2:36:12Overlord Drake laughed himself to tears
2:36:15at the front of the room.
2:36:16The student in the second chair from
2:36:18Carl caught the blonde as she passed out
2:36:20and tilted her upright to wait until she
2:36:22recovered, but Ray had a better idea,
2:36:24and tied her to the seat with a single
2:36:26strand of silk before looking at the
2:36:28rest of the students.
2:36:30The dark-haired girl on Carl's left got
2:36:32up out of her seat and walked over to
2:36:34the spider.
2:36:35She's beautiful.
2:36:37I had a tarantula at home, but nothing
2:36:40like this.
2:36:41Is she intelligent?
2:36:43Or do you have to give explicit orders?
2:36:46Ray, right?
2:36:48What a lovely big girl.
2:36:50The student crooned as she approached
2:36:52the bloodbath spider, doing her best not
2:36:54to alarm her.
2:36:56When she was close enough, she gently
2:36:58stroked Ray's head, and the spider sent
2:37:00Carl a confused thought.
2:37:02I don't see the appeal.
2:37:04She commented, confused about why Thor
2:37:07loved it so much.
2:37:09Then Ray studied the cleric, tapping her
2:37:11with her legs as she circled the girl,
2:37:13and most of the room watched on, unsure
2:37:15if they should be horrified or amused.
2:37:18She won't be injured, right?
2:37:21One of the other students asked
2:37:22cautiously as the spider circled her
2:37:24classmate as if staring at her next
2:37:26meal.
2:37:27Of course not.
2:37:29Ray is just curious, as she doesn't get
2:37:32to interact with people much.
2:37:34After they have properly met, I will
2:37:36return her to her resting area so she
2:37:38doesn't freak out the entire dinner
2:37:39party.
2:37:41Ray ran the side of her leg over the
2:37:42coarse woolen robes in dismay, not
2:37:45impressed with the quality.
2:37:47Then she held her head high and spun out
2:37:49a large, thin sheet of white silk a
2:37:51meter wide and 3 meters long.
2:37:54The girl caught it as it fell to the
2:37:56ground, unsure what to do in this
2:37:58situation.
2:37:59Tell her to stop wearing ugly things,
2:38:01and thank her for satisfying my
2:38:03curiosity about head rubs.
2:38:06Ray announced, then returned to the
2:38:07taming space.
2:38:09She says thank you for satisfying her
2:38:11curiosity, and to make clothing from
2:38:13that silk.
2:38:15She doesn't like wool.
2:38:17Carl explained with a smile.
2:38:20A man at the front of the room tapped a
2:38:21spoon against his glass, catching
2:38:23everyone's attention.
2:38:25Now that we have all had our fun, the
2:38:27matron is about to arrive.
2:38:30Please inform our new guests of the
2:38:31protocols.
2:38:33He announced.
2:38:35The spider lover took her seat after
2:38:37carefully folding the cloth into a small
2:38:39square, and leaned over to whisper to
2:38:41Carl.
2:38:42"Stand when she enters and don't sit
2:38:44until she sits.
2:38:46When the food is served, she takes the
2:38:48first bite and then we eat.
2:38:51Don't leave the table until she is
2:38:53finished and then we all leave together.
2:38:56That's the basics of it along with no
2:38:58talking above a whisper.
2:39:00She has very sensitive hearing and she
2:39:02doesn't like loud noises while she is
2:39:04eating."
2:39:05The girl explained.
2:39:07The sarcastic one across from Carl
2:39:09smirked in a way that said the matron
2:39:11just didn't like overly talkative
2:39:12people, so she had ordered everyone to
2:39:14shut up during dinner.
2:39:16But rules were rules and if she was in
2:39:19charge here, she set the rules.
2:39:21If Carl wanted to get a regular supply
2:39:23of healers for missions in the future,
2:39:26it would be best to stay on the good
2:39:27side of those in charge at the various
2:39:29monasteries and especially the seminary
2:39:31academy.
2:39:32Everyone rose as the woman walked in and
2:39:35was pulled into a friendly hug by
2:39:36Overlord Drake. Then they all sat after
2:39:39the two of them took their seats again
2:39:41and the food was brought out.
2:39:43Large platters were placed in the middle
2:39:45of the tables and then the servers
2:39:46retreated to a side room where Carl
2:39:49could hear them taking more platters
2:39:50back to their own tables.
2:39:52It was most likely a chore rotation and
2:39:55not the same students every day, a duty
2:39:57that reminded them that service was part
2:39:59of their oath, but it worked well enough
2:40:01and within minutes everyone in the
2:40:03building would be served.
2:40:05Carl noticed that the matron waited
2:40:06until the sound of platters hitting
2:40:08tables in the other room stopped and
2:40:10then she took the first bite and the
2:40:11dinner started.
2:40:13So, she really did have enhanced
2:40:15hearing.
2:40:17Carl's was much better than the average
2:40:18human and the sound of the trays been
2:40:20quiet even to him while she was on the
2:40:22far side of the room, not near the side
2:40:25door to the other dining hall.
2:40:27That made him wonder how many people
2:40:29here actually understood the timing and
2:40:31how many thought that she was just
2:40:32randomly making them wait like some test
2:40:34of patience before they could begin to
2:40:36eat.
2:40:38Carl knew the reason now, but it was
2:40:40obvious that the students didn't and he
2:40:42wasn't entirely certain why it hadn't
2:40:44been clearly explained to them in
2:40:45advance.
2:40:47His question was answered by the girl
2:40:49two seats to his left.
2:40:51"37 seconds this time.
2:40:54I know I'm close to understanding the
2:40:55timing.
2:40:57As soon as I work out the algorithm, I
2:40:59will ace that homework assignment."
2:41:01She whispered.
2:41:03Carl smiled at her and barely whispered
2:41:05back.
2:41:07"It's not a math problem, it's a human
2:41:09question.
2:41:10How long did you have to wait when you
2:41:12were in the common rank dining hall?"
2:41:14The girls considered it for a moment,
2:41:16then one of them shook her head.
2:41:19"It's a test of patience that only
2:41:20begins once we reach awaken rank.
2:41:23But the teachers assigned us to answer
2:41:25the question of why everyday's meal has
2:41:27a different time to wait than the one
2:41:28before it.
2:41:30It's not a thing in the other dining
2:41:32hall.
2:41:33They start to eat as soon as the food
2:41:35hits the tables.
2:41:36There aren't any seniors there, so your
2:41:38team is likely to have a grand time."
2:41:41The girl replied with a gentle smile.
2:41:44So, that was the question they were
2:41:46asked.
2:41:47Now it made sense why they thought it
2:41:49was a math problem.
2:41:51Carl turned over the paper with the
2:41:52names of the people at the table on it
2:41:54and took a pen from his uniform jacket's
2:41:56inside pocket to write a note.
2:41:59"She doesn't eat until all the tables in
2:42:01the other room have been served."
2:42:03He wrote, allowing them a few seconds to
2:42:05see the answer before folding the paper
2:42:07and putting it in his pocket along with
2:42:09the pen.
2:42:10"I'm sure you will all understand the
2:42:12timing soon."
2:42:13He whispered, knowing that she would be
2:42:15able to hear their conversation though
2:42:17she couldn't see him from where she was
2:42:19sitting.
2:42:20They ate in silence for a few moments
2:42:22and though the food was simple, Carl
2:42:24noticed that the quality wasn't any
2:42:26worse than what was served in the Golden
2:42:27Divine Academy.
2:42:29The meat was monster meat and the plants
2:42:31magically infused, but the seasonings
2:42:34were simple and there were no signs of
2:42:35fancy pastries or complex desserts in
2:42:37the building.
2:42:39What they did have was a rather tasty
2:42:41stew and a seemingly unlimited mound of
2:42:43rice and beans.
2:42:45The same rice and beans that they served
2:42:47to the poor when they came to visit the
2:42:49small towns.
2:42:51"I didn't realize that the clergy ate
2:42:52the rice and beans themselves.
2:42:55I thought it was like an alms for the
2:42:57poor thing."
2:42:58Carl whispered to the brunette on his
2:43:00left.
2:43:01"Every meal except breakfast.
2:43:04The trick is to eat the main slowly
2:43:06while you fill up on rice.
2:43:08The main is portioned by the table in
2:43:10the kitchen, so every table gets an even
2:43:12share, but the rice is unlimited.
2:43:15If you run out, you can just take the
2:43:16platter to the kitchen and get more.
2:43:19But nobody ever runs out.
2:43:22It's barely even possible to eat 2/3 of
2:43:24this.
2:43:25But we will use the wax paper to make
2:43:27rice balls for later and they're pretty
2:43:29good."
2:43:31Carl didn't quite understand why they
2:43:32needed rice balls for later as it seemed
2:43:35that there were three solid meals a day
2:43:36here, but he went along with it anyhow
2:43:39and when nobody could eat more, he
2:43:41helped them press the leftovers into
2:43:42solid squares.
2:43:44Then they waited for the head table to
2:43:46finish their meal and when the high
2:43:47priestess stood, everyone else in the
2:43:49room stood to join her.
2:43:52The students quickly wrapped the rice
2:43:53balls in the wax paper and the short
2:43:56blonde offered him her hand.
2:43:58"Would you like to come with us?"
2:44:00she asked.
2:44:02"Sure, why not?"
2:44:04Carl agreed after seeing that the table
2:44:06full of boys and Dana were already
2:44:08joining them with another pile of rice
2:44:10balls.
2:44:11The two elites followed the young clergy
2:44:13out the back doors of the building and
2:44:15found himself in the stables where a
2:44:17large number of horses were eagerly
2:44:19waiting for them to arrive.
2:44:21That was right.
2:44:23Carl had completely forgotten that the
2:44:24church liked to use horses for
2:44:26transportation when they weren't going
2:44:28too far.
2:44:29Horses didn't need fuel or manufacturing
2:44:31facilities that the church didn't have
2:44:33and they could make their own saddles
2:44:35the same as they made their own outfits.
2:44:38That was where the flood of students was
2:44:39going.
2:44:41Right after the meal, they went to groom
2:44:43the horses with pairs breaking off to go
2:44:45meet a specific animal.
2:44:47"We all get assigned a horse, two of us
2:44:49per horse, but those on stable duty take
2:44:52care of them all in the morning.
2:44:54This is more of an informal bonding
2:44:56exercise."
2:44:57The blonde explained.
2:45:00Most of the animals were eagerly
2:45:01anticipating their treats which wouldn't
2:45:03make even half a meal for an animal that
2:45:05large.
2:45:07Carl was concerned that rice and beans
2:45:09might not be good for the digestion, but
2:45:11if they did it every day, it couldn't be
2:45:13too bad.
2:45:14The horses seemed to love the long brown
2:45:16grains and Carl was about to go make new
2:45:19friends when he heard an angry whinny
2:45:21and the stomping of steel shod feet on
2:45:23the ground.
2:45:24One of the horses was not impressed with
2:45:26its assigned pair and everyone was
2:45:28looking nervously in that direction as
2:45:30it reared up and kicked at them the
2:45:32moment that they approached.
2:45:34Carl wasn't bad with horses.
2:45:36As a small child, he used to go visit
2:45:39the retired ones that the mines no
2:45:40longer used to pull carts, but those
2:45:43were so tame that nothing bothered them.
2:45:45This was a very different animal.
2:45:48Carl walked over to the stable stall
2:45:50where the two students had fled in fear
2:45:52leaving their package behind.
2:45:54He picked it up thinking to try to calm
2:45:57the animal with food, but something felt
2:45:59off about the bundle of wax paper.
2:46:01The balls hadn't been well pressed as if
2:46:04the students didn't know what they were
2:46:05doing and there were chunks of leftover
2:46:07stew in the pile.
2:46:09Carl tossed it aside and held out his
2:46:11hand to the student at the next stall
2:46:13while the angry horse slammed at the
2:46:14gate.
2:46:16"Can I get a couple rice balls?
2:46:18The new kids messed theirs up with
2:46:20leftover stew.
2:46:22I think this guy doesn't like the smell
2:46:23of meat."
2:46:25he asked.
2:46:26"They tried to feed him meat?
2:46:29Horses don't eat meat.
2:46:31They don't even like the smell of our
2:46:32dinner cooking."
2:46:34The older boy chuckled.
2:46:36He handed Carl two rice balls and Carl
2:46:39activated skill master to test a theory.
2:46:42It never said it had to be a magical
2:46:44skill, so maybe he could teach the horse
2:46:46a simple trick.
2:46:48"Hey buddy, I have a proper snack.
2:46:51Calm down.
2:46:53That's a good boy."
2:46:55He muttered in what he hoped was a
2:46:56soothing tone as he pushed the latch
2:46:58open on the gate and stepped into the
2:46:59stall.
2:47:01The surrounding students began to panic,
2:47:03but when Carl put his empty hand on the
2:47:05horse, it began to calm down and stop
2:47:07bucking.
2:47:09"Good boy.
2:47:10Open up for a treat."
2:47:12Carl suggested opening his mouth in
2:47:14demonstration.
2:47:16The horse followed along and Carl put a
2:47:18rice ball in his mouth only narrowly
2:47:21saving his fingers as the horse's jaw
2:47:23snapped shut around it.
2:47:25Then he held out his open hand with the
2:47:27other one on it as he saw the majority
2:47:29of students doing and the horse more
2:47:31delicately grabbed the other before
2:47:32bumping into Carl for a pat down.
2:47:35There were brushes lined up along the
2:47:37stall wall, so he grabbed one and got to
2:47:39work giving the horse a brushing that
2:47:41was making Ray jealous.
2:47:43"You are totally brushing my fur later.
2:47:46Keep one of those brushes."
2:47:48She demanded when she saw how much the
2:47:50horse liked it.
2:47:52"I will buy one from them.
2:47:54I'm not stealing their tools."
2:47:57Carl replied with a laugh.
2:47:59He stepped out and latched the gate when
2:48:01he was finished only to find the pair of
2:48:03older clergy from the library waiting
2:48:05outside the stall with Dana and two of
2:48:07the rescue team members.
2:48:09Everyone else had cleared the area and
2:48:11most of the nearby stalls were now empty
2:48:14as the students had taken the animals
2:48:15with them.
2:48:17"I hope I didn't hold up any plans.
2:48:20The new student spooked him, so I calmed
2:48:22him down."
2:48:23Carl explained.
2:48:25"We saw that.
2:48:27But he's never let them touch him
2:48:28before. We assumed that they were doing
2:48:30a terrible job breaking in and training
2:48:32him, but now he looks ready to be
2:48:34saddled.
2:48:35Tell me, have you ever ridden a horse?"
2:48:38the old woman asked.
2:48:41Carl shook his head.
2:48:43"Never had the need or the opportunity."
2:48:46"Well, let's see how he responds.
2:48:48It's part of the student assessment.
2:48:51Do you know why he reacted so badly to
2:48:53them?"
2:48:54She asked with a curious smile wrinkling
2:48:56her features even further.
2:48:59"Check the rice pile.
2:49:01They mixed leftovers in with their rice
2:49:03balls."
2:49:04Carl laughed.
2:49:06The high priest walked over, looked at
2:49:08the pile and sighed in disgust.
2:49:11"There is always one pair that doesn't
2:49:12listen, no matter how much you tell
2:49:14them.
2:49:15You see, those two don't like carrots,
2:49:18so they won't eat the stew.
2:49:20I wondered where it was going if they
2:49:21weren't eating it."
2:49:23Carl was surprised at the revelation.
2:49:26"You know, they all think nobody is
2:49:28watching them at dinner."
2:49:30All the clergy present began to laugh at
2:49:32that, and one of the rescue team members
2:49:34from the Inquisition winked at Carl.
2:49:36"There are cameras in the room. We watch
2:49:38from the security station.
2:49:41It's the same in your academy. All the
2:49:43public areas in both academies have
2:49:45cameras in case of accidents or
2:49:47incidents."
2:49:48he explained.
2:49:50Carl nodded.
2:49:52That was something that he already knew,
2:49:54and the elite academy didn't bother to
2:49:56hide.
2:49:57Of course, the seminary academy probably
2:49:59didn't hide it either. They just didn't
2:50:01go out of their way to tell anyone.
2:50:04Carl was it.
2:50:06"Can you ask this fine gentleman to
2:50:07kneel so you can put a bridle on him and
2:50:09then climb on his back for a short
2:50:11walk?"
2:50:12the elderly high priestess asked with a
2:50:14head tilt toward the horse.
2:50:17"Sure, I guess."
2:50:19Carl picked up the mass of leather
2:50:20straps from the hook on the stall and
2:50:22tried to determine how it was used,
2:50:24while he was certain that the horse was
2:50:26laughing at him.
2:50:27"Don't be like that."
2:50:29"What way does it go on?"
2:50:31Carl asked as he activated the training
2:50:33skill, with the question directed at the
2:50:35horse, who stuck his nose into the
2:50:37contraption and grabbed the bit between
2:50:39his teeth.
2:50:41"You will want him to let go of the bit
2:50:42so you can tighten it properly, but
2:50:44that's the right way."
2:50:46the old woman explained, sounding
2:50:48shocked as Carl finished the work.
2:50:51The horse didn't give him any trouble,
2:50:52and when Carl tapped his side and willed
2:50:54him to kneel so he could get on, the
2:50:56animal complied easily.
2:50:59He hopped on top, and the horse stood
2:51:01back up, much to the surprise of
2:51:02everyone gathered.
2:51:04"All right, you said for a walk, right?"
2:51:07"Everyone else went out that door.
2:51:09Should I follow?"
2:51:11Carl asked.
2:51:13The horse was about to simply go, but
2:51:15the Inquisition team member held up a
2:51:17hand to stop them.
2:51:18"How did you do that?"
2:51:20the man asked.
2:51:22"Do what?"
2:51:24"I have an awakened physique. I could
2:51:25have hopped on his back without him
2:51:27kneeling, but this way was more gentle."
2:51:30Carl's confused answer brought smiles to
2:51:32the faces of the two elderly clergy.
2:51:35"I get it now. I get how the skill
2:51:37works.
2:51:39You use it, and they learn what you want
2:51:40them to know, but it's all up to their
2:51:42understanding.
2:51:44But the level of compliance is
2:51:45remarkable.
2:51:47It's like you're naturally attuned to
2:51:49animals."
2:51:50she exclaimed.
2:51:52"It's a trained horse.
2:51:54I don't think it's all that impressive
2:51:56for it to know how to get its own bridle
2:51:57on."
2:51:59Carl replied.
2:52:01She shook her head.
2:52:02"Not that one.
2:52:04They haven't started training it yet.
2:52:07It attacks its students every time that
2:52:09they try."
2:52:10Now Carl was certain that the horse was
2:52:12laughing at them.
2:52:14"I agree. He thinks that you're all
2:52:16idiots."
2:52:17Thor joked.
2:52:19"Do you speak horse?"
2:52:21Carl asked.
2:52:23"Who needs to?
2:52:24You can see it in the body language.
2:52:27He's seen it all a thousand times
2:52:29before. He knows the whole routine. He
2:52:31just doesn't like the idiots that they
2:52:33keep sending to him.
2:52:34My Saro says that the horse probably
2:52:36learned all the routines ages ago and
2:52:38just doesn't like his handlers.
2:52:41I will take him for a walk, if you'd
2:52:43like, and then bring him back."
2:52:45Carl offered.
2:52:47"Your Saro?"
2:52:49"Who is Saro?"
2:52:50the older priest asked.
2:52:53"He's lightning Saro, one of the three
2:52:55tamed beasts he has gained with his
2:52:56class abilities.
2:52:58It's name is Thor, I believe."
2:53:01the inquisitor replied before Carl could
2:53:03find a polite way to answer.
2:53:06"Interesting.
2:53:07Well, if your animals need a place to
2:53:09graze, we have an open field on the
2:53:11north side where they shouldn't spook
2:53:13any of the livestock."
2:53:15the old priest explained.
2:53:17"They have a separate space to relax,
2:53:19thanks to my class skill.
2:53:22But I do appreciate your offer."
2:53:24Carl replied politely.
2:53:27"Well then, enjoy your ride, and try not
2:53:29to let the cat get underfoot.
2:53:32He's been bothering us to let him out to
2:53:33see you all afternoon."
2:53:36The old man grumbled, while the
2:53:37priestess and the inquisitor hid their
2:53:39smirks.
2:53:40Carl rode out into the training field,
2:53:43where the others were slowly walking
2:53:44with their horses.
2:53:46His dappled mount began to prance a
2:53:48little, and Carl laughed.
2:53:50"Fine, but don't play too rough. We
2:53:52don't want to hurt anyone."
2:53:55He agreed, letting the horse trot around
2:53:57the field full of shocked students, many
2:53:59of whom were struggling to control their
2:54:01animals.
2:54:02"That's cheating.
2:54:04It has to be cheating."
2:54:06the blonde from his table complained as
2:54:08Carl's horse walked past where she was
2:54:10standing, while her partner struggled to
2:54:11convince the horse that walking was more
2:54:13interesting than the grass along the
2:54:15fence line.
2:54:16"I'm not giving any advice. I have no
2:54:19idea what I'm doing."
2:54:21Carl warned them, making the girls laugh
2:54:23as he kept moving around the field.
2:54:26His mount didn't want to be outside for
2:54:27long, and soon it was looking back
2:54:29toward the stable, where Carl could see
2:54:31that the stable hands had put out fresh
2:54:33bedding and cleaned the stalls while the
2:54:35animals were out.
2:54:36"All right, let's go back."
2:54:39Carl agreed, riding back into the barn
2:54:41and hopping down at the gate.
2:54:43He opened it, and the horse stepped
2:54:45inside, then pulled the door shut for
2:54:47Carl to latch.
2:54:49"He's smart.
2:54:51For the record, I didn't teach him any
2:54:53of that last bit. He already knew."
2:54:56"We guessed that.
2:54:57But if you would like to come with us,
2:54:59the church has a reward for the both of
2:55:01you in recognition of your help finding
2:55:03the holy relic."
2:55:05"The rest of your team is already
2:55:06there."
2:55:08the elderly high priestess explained.
2:55:11"Of course. Sorry to have kept you all."
2:55:14The woman just shook her head.
2:55:16"It was good to see that one get out.
2:55:19We will have the animal handling
2:55:20teachers put the troublesome students in
2:55:22remedial classes.
2:55:24With so many students lately, it has
2:55:26been challenging to keep up with
2:55:28everything.
2:55:29Back when I was a young priestess, there
2:55:31were only 30 students in total here."
2:55:34"30?"
2:55:36"Now there are better than 300 with all
2:55:38the ones from the serum.
2:55:4010 years ago, she would already have
2:55:42been counted as an old woman moving
2:55:44toward retirement from active duties
2:55:46outside the compound.
2:55:48The development of the serum must have
2:55:49come as a huge culture shock for someone
2:55:51her age who had lived a lifetime without
2:55:54it."
2:55:55They walked through the building toward
2:55:56an isolated building furthest from the
2:55:58student dorms and the mess hall, while
2:56:00the priestess told stories of her
2:56:01peaceful youth here, training scribes
2:56:03and healers, then stopped when they saw
2:56:06all the other students waiting for them
2:56:07to arrive.
2:56:09"Good.
2:56:10Now we are all gathered, so we can
2:56:12discuss the important matters.
2:56:15Please come inside and have a seat.
2:56:17This won't take long, but there is no
2:56:19reason not to be comfortable."
2:56:22she informed the group with a suddenly
2:56:24gentle smile.
2:56:26It was obvious that she still saw
2:56:27everyone here, including the younger
2:56:29priests and the inquisitor, as children,
2:56:32but then compared to her, they were.
2:56:35If she hadn't devoted her life to the
2:56:36church, she would probably have
2:56:38great-grandchildren by now.
2:56:40The group took a seat, and Carl noticed
2:56:42that the two clerics they had rescued
2:56:44were also there now, but in their new
2:56:46gold and black robes that appeared in
2:56:48the chapel, and not the standard student
2:56:50clergy robes.
2:56:52They somehow seemed more fancy, though
2:56:54they were still the same style as the
2:56:56others, and only had an extra layer that
2:56:58was visible at the collar and sleeves
2:57:00and better construction.
2:57:02"I will make this simple.
2:57:04The church would like to keep the
2:57:05location of this holy relic quiet, so we
2:57:07are asking that all of you don't mention
2:57:09it for at least as long as it remains
2:57:11out of the public sphere.
2:57:13We will be building a new dragon temple
2:57:15at that location, but it will take some
2:57:17years to be ready and staffed.
2:57:19Having a flood of hopeful tourists and
2:57:21pilgrims coming to the site while we are
2:57:23working would be a nightmare for the
2:57:24construction team, and the holy relic
2:57:26isn't open for them to go in anyhow."
2:57:29the elderly priest began.
2:57:31Then the old woman took over from him.
2:57:34"But that doesn't mean that you won't be
2:57:36rewarded for your find.
2:57:38Your names will be recorded in the
2:57:39temple as the original team to undergo
2:57:41the trials, and the matron has prepared
2:57:44a set of gifts for you all.
2:57:46First, she has prepared a scale for each
2:57:48of you."
2:57:49She paused there, and the two young
2:57:51clerics took out a silver tray with
2:57:53small golden dragon scale amulets on
2:57:55them.
2:57:56Carl could sense that they were some
2:57:58sort of holy magic, but he couldn't tell
2:58:00exactly what they were supposed to do.
2:58:03"They are a good luck charm, blessed by
2:58:05the world dragon's archbishop at the
2:58:07main temple.
2:58:08The blessings of the world dragon are
2:58:10many, but you have all shown an affinity
2:58:12for his favor, so these might be just
2:58:14what you need."
2:58:16The amulets were passed out as the woman
2:58:18began to talk again.
2:58:20"The next reward that we will grant you
2:58:22might seem trivial to some, or
2:58:23irreplaceable to others.
2:58:26It is a scroll of holy light.
2:58:28Use it with an item or an ability for a
2:58:30one-time bonus to its abilities.
2:58:33I would recommend using it on a magical
2:58:35item, as the effects will linger until
2:58:37the enchantment on the item is
2:58:38discharged.
2:58:40That excited a lot of the students who
2:58:42had gotten magical items from their
2:58:43reward chests, but the priestess was
2:58:45right. To others, it was just a trivial
2:58:47thing.
2:58:49Carl hung the dragon scale good luck
2:58:51charm around his neck and tucked it
2:58:52under his uniform.
2:58:54You never knew when you were going to
2:58:56need good luck, and trying to get the
2:58:57charm out after things had already gone
2:58:59wrong was just about pointless.
2:59:02None of these things was a major reward
2:59:04so far, Carl noticed.
2:59:06If they were going to be privately
2:59:08rewarded for finding a holy relic and
2:59:09expected to keep their mouths shut,
2:59:11there was going to have to be something
2:59:13big, something that would equal up to
2:59:15the rewards that they would get for
2:59:16announcing it publicly.
2:59:18Carl had no intentions of doing that, as
2:59:21he had seen on the fate stairs how that
2:59:22would end, but there was no guarantee
2:59:24that others wouldn't try to do the same.
2:59:27They had agreed, but once they were back
2:59:29at the academy and their progress
2:59:31returned to something closer to normal,
2:59:33they might change their minds.
2:59:35But even with that in mind, Carl was
2:59:37shocked to see what the two smiling
2:59:39young dragon clerics brought out next.
2:59:42They rolled out an entire cart full of
2:59:44books, skill books handmade by the
2:59:46transcriptionists of the church, but
2:59:48bound without titles.
2:59:50There is a reason we passed out the luck
2:59:52charms first, and I do hope that you're
2:59:54all wearing yours now, or at least
2:59:56before you choose.
2:59:58As you all know, skill books are rare,
3:00:01and a single one can change your growth
3:00:02path.
3:00:04So, we have prepared eight of them
3:00:06today, one for each of you.
3:00:08The elderly priestess announced.
3:00:11Eight?
3:00:12But there are 10 of us.
3:00:14One of the students asked, confused.
3:00:18Two of you received powerful skills as
3:00:20rewards from the trial, and it was
3:00:21deemed unwise to simply add another new
3:00:24skill when they haven't adapted to the
3:00:25first one yet.
3:00:27However, we have instead prepared a holy
3:00:29relic for them instead.
3:00:31The old woman's smile set Carl's heart
3:00:34at ease.
3:00:35She was right. With two new skills
3:00:37already this month, a third would have
3:00:39seemed a bit anticlimactic.
3:00:42But a holy item would be something that
3:00:43he could keep with him for years to
3:00:45come.
3:00:46First, choose your skills.
3:00:49The luck charm should guide your hand to
3:00:50the one meant for you.
3:00:52No need to second-guess yourselves.
3:00:55The priestess instructed.
3:00:57There were far more than eight books on
3:00:59the carts, but most likely it was eight
3:01:01different skills out of the 10 or so
3:01:03that the inscriptionists could make,
3:01:05according to Overlord Drake.
3:01:07The students rushed forward, and a few
3:01:09began pacing in front of the carts,
3:01:11getting a feeling for the books to see
3:01:13what might feel lucky.
3:01:15But the others just walked up and
3:01:17grabbed something, trusting to luck that
3:01:19it would be something that they could
3:01:20use.
3:01:21It looked like the world dragon's luck
3:01:23was no joke, and every book that was
3:01:25opened vanished.
3:01:27Even those who delayed and
3:01:28second-guessed the luck of the charm
3:01:30they were given still managed to
3:01:31activate a new skill from the books.
3:01:34Carl knew that these would all be basic
3:01:36skills, the equivalent of slash, rend,
3:01:39fireball, and such.
3:01:41But that didn't matter to the students.
3:01:44It was a new skill that they could use,
3:01:46and that they didn't have to go through
3:01:47the painstaking process of learning
3:01:49normally.
3:01:51The more versatile they could be, the
3:01:52easier their lives would become in the
3:01:54future, as an elite's reputation
3:01:56depended a lot on their personal skills,
3:01:58even more so in some cases than it did
3:02:00on their personality.
3:02:02Then the carts were taken away, and the
3:02:04elderly priest left for a moment to
3:02:06collect the two holy items.
3:02:09These were made by our matron just this
3:02:11afternoon.
3:02:12Or rather, they were enchanted this
3:02:14afternoon with the pair of you in mind.
3:02:17Please, do accept our reward.
3:02:20The priestess informed them with a
3:02:21gentle smile.
3:02:23Carl and Dana both took the boxes,
3:02:25mostly to relieve the elderly man of the
3:02:27strain of holding them, and Dana rushed
3:02:29to open her reward.
3:02:31A simple golden scepter sat inside the
3:02:33box in her hands, but when she touched
3:02:35it, the weapon lit up with soft white
3:02:37light.
3:02:39That will add a touch of holy magic to
3:02:41every spell that you cast.
3:02:43A bit more attack, a lot more defense.
3:02:47The elderly priest explained.
3:02:49Then Carl opened the chest in front of
3:02:51him and looked at the content with a
3:02:52confused smile.
3:02:54It was just a simple bracelet, gold, but
3:02:57without a visible mark on it.
3:02:59Carl put it on, and in his mental
3:03:01spaces, all three pets glowed with the
3:03:03same soft white light that the scepter
3:03:05did.
3:03:07The bracelet is a support item.
3:03:09It will increase the skill power of you
3:03:11and your allies whenever you are wearing
3:03:13it.
3:03:14The other students gave Carl a jealous
3:03:16look.
3:03:17More skill power for his pets.
3:03:20He was already basically four elites in
3:03:22one, and now they all got a cheat code
3:03:24buff.
3:03:26This will be wonderful.
3:03:28The others and I thank the church for
3:03:29its generosity.
3:03:31Carl informed him with his best
3:03:33imitation of the formal church salute,
3:03:35with the thumbs hooked together and his
3:03:37fingers spread in front of his chest to
3:03:39imitate dragon wings.
3:03:41The bracelet would likely improve his
3:03:43ability to train skills as well.
3:03:45The more that he could teach these
3:03:47three, the better.
3:03:49They all had a unique role to play, but
3:03:51the real advantage that they could show
3:03:53in the future would be in their ability
3:03:54to use skills that no wild beast would
3:03:56be able to.
3:03:58You seem more enthusiastic about a
3:04:00support role than I would have expected.
3:04:02The elderly priest noted as he saw
3:04:04Carl's reaction was true and not just
3:04:07him being polite.
3:04:08My beasts are also allies, you see.
3:04:12This reward will do them a lot of good
3:04:14and allow them to make the best use of
3:04:16their abilities in the future.
3:04:18Even if it seems simple, an increase to
3:04:20all of their skill power will stack up
3:04:22to a much larger bonus than just
3:04:24enhancing myself.
3:04:28The priestess nodded in satisfaction.
3:04:31In that case, enjoy your evening,
3:04:33everyone, and we hope to see you all
3:04:35again soon.
3:04:36Please don't forget about our students
3:04:38when it is time for your next missions.
3:04:41With the meeting finished, the group was
3:04:43escorted back to the main building by
3:04:44one of the younger students who had a
3:04:46bit of wisdom to share with them.
3:04:49Breakfast is a half hour before full
3:04:51dawn.
3:04:52So, as soon as it starts to get light
3:04:54outside, the bells will ring, and
3:04:57everyone will be up and beginning their
3:04:58day.
3:04:59I don't know when you will be picked up
3:05:01to return to your academy, but if
3:05:03they're sending you on the train, it's
3:05:04about an hour after dawn, as it arrives
3:05:07just after breakfast.
3:05:09The boy informed them.
3:05:11So, what you're saying is don't stay up
3:05:13too late.
3:05:14Carl asked.
3:05:16Exactly.
3:05:18Many of us have considered sleeping in
3:05:20when we don't have morning chores, but
3:05:22those bells make it impossible.
3:05:24A few of you might manage, but we're all
3:05:26so well conditioned now that it is
3:05:28impossible.
3:05:30The boy explained.
3:05:32One of the warriors smiled at the
3:05:33younger boy.
3:05:35Were they afraid that we wouldn't be
3:05:36able to find our way back?
3:05:38The building is right there.
3:05:41That made the student laugh.
3:05:43Oh, it's not for this part.
3:05:46You see, the inside of the main floor
3:05:48was designed during an age of strife,
3:05:50and it is designed to confuse breaching
3:05:52enemies.
3:05:53If you're not familiar with the layout,
3:05:55it can be nearly impossible to end up
3:05:57anywhere but the main halls.
3:06:00The warrior chuckled.
3:06:02Which is great for students.
3:06:04Since that's where the food is.
3:06:06Precisely.
3:06:08It's why we didn't bother to give you a
3:06:10tour.
3:06:11Because it just encourages people to get
3:06:13lost in the corridors, and then we have
3:06:15to go find them.
3:06:17Though the building is only a few
3:06:18hundred meters wide, the main floor has
3:06:21over 4 km of winding hallways.
3:06:24I suspect that the area between the
3:06:26kitchen and the student dorms is
3:06:27actually a labyrinth with fake doors,
3:06:30but I can't prove it.
3:06:31There is no properly drawn map of the
3:06:33building, since we all grew up here,
3:06:35except for the serum clerics.
3:06:38But they start out with magic and rank,
3:06:40so they never live this far back in the
3:06:42seminary.
3:06:43Plus, they automatically know the whole
3:06:45set of holy books for their patron, like
3:06:48memorized word for word, which is
3:06:50completely unfair.
3:06:52Carl could only imagine the hours that a
3:06:54student expected to be an expert on
3:06:55theology when there were six major gods,
3:06:58plus the chromatic divine dragons and
3:07:00the beast gods, and who knew how many
3:07:02others that nobody followed anymore.
3:07:05Carl barely remembered the basics of the
3:07:07world dragon's teachings, since they
3:07:09followed it here in the golden dragon
3:07:10nation.
3:07:12But the clerics knew them all.
3:07:14As the boy had said, the corridor was
3:07:17definitely suspicious, and Carl realized
3:07:19quickly that it was not straight, nor
3:07:21was it level.
3:07:23It seemed that way at first, but by the
3:07:25time that they had walked for a full
3:07:26minute, Carl was certain that they were
3:07:28no longer on the same level as they had
3:07:30been.
3:07:31Ray had an excellent sense of spatial
3:07:33awareness to help her locate anything
3:07:35that had disturbed her web, and some of
3:07:37that had passed to Carl.
3:07:39They took a series of twisting turns
3:07:41until even their guide seemed slightly
3:07:43uncertain of the next one to take.
3:07:46But there were windows now, and they
3:07:48were on the second floor, facing the
3:07:50inner courtyard, so they were very close
3:07:52to his room.
3:07:53My room is to the right.
3:07:56Carl whispered, startling their guide
3:07:58into stumbling into the gray stone wall.
3:08:01Are you certain?
3:08:02He asked.
3:08:04Once we're around that corner, we will
3:08:06be able to see it.
3:08:08I remember it from earlier.
3:08:10Carl explained.
3:08:12This is the guest area, and I don't get
3:08:14here often.
3:08:16At least not from that side.
3:08:18I swear that one day I will have this
3:08:20entire place memorized.
3:08:22The boy muttered under his breath.
3:08:25But he led them around the corner, and
3:08:27first thing they saw was Overlord Drake
3:08:29sipping coffee and looking out the
3:08:31window.
3:08:32With suppressed laughter in his voice,
3:08:34the muscular warrior greeted them as if
3:08:36welcoming them to his own home.
3:08:39Ah, good evening. I was wondering when
3:08:41you would be along.
3:08:43If you just come around to the front
3:08:44instead, you would have been here 5
3:08:46minutes ago.
3:08:48It's like we went on a small adventure
3:08:50instead.
3:08:51Good evening, Overlord.
3:08:53Carl greeted him in return.
3:08:56There will be a bus here to pick you all
3:08:57up tomorrow after breakfast, bright and
3:08:59early in the morning.
3:09:01I suggested the helicopter, but they
3:09:03said it's needed for actual work and
3:09:05that it isn't a shuttle service to bring
3:09:07healthy students back from missions.
3:09:10The friendly tone of his words made the
3:09:11young elites much more comfortable
3:09:13around the incredibly powerful warrior,
3:09:15but the young cleric wasn't used to such
3:09:17a fraternal camaraderie.
3:09:19If someone here smiled at you like that,
3:09:22they were trying to comfort you before
3:09:23they gave you bad news, like extra chore
3:09:25rotations.
3:09:27If they were giving you good news, they
3:09:29would keep a straight face and try to
3:09:31downplay it.
3:09:32That was just how the clergy culture
3:09:34was, stoic to keep up their image, but
3:09:37secretly celebrating on the inside.
3:09:39Even the ones that decided that the
3:09:41clergy wasn't for them and left the
3:09:43seminary academy when they were old
3:09:44enough to work regular jobs tended to
3:09:46keep the same simple tastes and
3:09:48expressionless default setting.
3:09:50Where are you off to next?
3:09:52Somewhere more exciting than a hidden
3:09:54holy relic in its dormant mode.
3:09:56Carl asked.
3:09:58Drake shook his head.
3:10:00I am headed back to the capital.
3:10:03I just happened to be in the area when
3:10:05the call went out.
3:10:06But I wish you all luck with your
3:10:08studies and a good result on the end of
3:10:10semester promotion exams.
3:10:12Though, if you're doing well enough, you
3:10:15might convince your professor to give
3:10:16you a chance to do the promotion during
3:10:18the midterms next month.
3:10:20Then he walked away with a smile on his
3:10:22face as all the common rank students
3:10:24began to panic at the thought of trying
3:10:26to pass the awaken exams in just over a
3:10:28month.
3:10:29Carl was honestly impressed.
3:10:32The Overlord had an impeccable sense of
3:10:34timing, and that smooth exit before the
3:10:36students could ask any more questions
3:10:38was flawless.
3:10:39Even if it had been phrased as a casual
3:10:41remark, it was perhaps the best prank he
3:10:44had seen played on the students yet.
3:10:46Carl and Dana returned to their rooms
3:10:49while the guide led the others back to
3:10:50the dorms that they were sharing.
3:10:53Normally, that would have led to envy,
3:10:55but when they saw the broom closet sized
3:10:57rooms that the more powerful pair were
3:10:58staying in, suddenly the dorms didn't
3:11:01seem as bad with their bunk beds.
3:11:03Until the snoring started.
3:11:06Carl joined the group of bleary-eyed
3:11:07students outside the dining hall the
3:11:09next morning and realized that they were
3:11:11possibly even more tired than they had
3:11:13been before they went to bed.
3:11:15I thought that we reminded everyone to
3:11:17sleep early.
3:11:19It's a travel day, so you can sleep on
3:11:21the bus, but still, you're elites in the
3:11:23wilderness. You should be ready at any
3:11:25time.
3:11:26Carl reminded them.
3:11:28I know you said that, but once we got to
3:11:31those nice, comfortable cots, we learned
3:11:33a valuable lesson.
3:11:35Thor is not the member of this team that
3:11:37snores the loudest.
3:11:39Gerald is.
3:11:41How it wasn't a problem in the woods, I
3:11:43have no idea, but we should get him
3:11:45checked or something before we leave.
3:11:47One of the mages joked half-heartedly,
3:11:50still mostly asleep.
3:11:52The girls all nodded in agreement.
3:11:55We were across the hall and I thought
3:11:56that he was going to shake the pictures
3:11:58off the walls.
3:12:00One of them agreed with an annoyed glare
3:12:02at Gerald.
3:12:03As they were arguing, one of the local
3:12:05clergy came over with the gentle smile
3:12:07that Carl was beginning to learn meant
3:12:09that someone was in trouble.
3:12:11They may have forgotten to mention that
3:12:13we were forced to intervene when these
3:12:14young ladies very inappropriately
3:12:16stormed the boys dormitory and began to
3:12:18pummel their teammates.
3:12:20The young man calmly informed them.
3:12:23It wasn't that bad, really.
3:12:25We were just trying to make him stop
3:12:27snoring.
3:12:28One of the girls offered.
3:12:31Carl nodded.
3:12:32While making him stop breathing will
3:12:34make him stop snoring, it is not the
3:12:36best option.
3:12:38We will discuss this on the very long
3:12:40ride back to the academy.
3:12:42Thank you, friar. I will take care of
3:12:44the situation.
3:12:46The cleric smiled at the proper use of
3:12:48his rank within the church.
3:12:50These days, it wasn't used as much as
3:12:52their strength ranking, but the friars
3:12:54were clergy who didn't have the gift for
3:12:56holy magic.
3:12:58Some might be warriors, but mostly they
3:13:00were the common preachers, the ones that
3:13:02those in small towns and villages went
3:13:04to for matters of faith and not matters
3:13:06of healing.
3:13:08With one last warning look at the
3:13:09others, Carl headed for the second
3:13:11dining room and found that while he was
3:13:13at the same table as before, it was a
3:13:15different spot and all the people seated
3:13:17around him had changed.
3:13:19He took his seat and the girl beside
3:13:21him, taller than him by a head and with
3:13:23arms roughly the size of his legs,
3:13:25smiled down at him.
3:13:28We put the names out at random.
3:13:30Or at least we're supposed to.
3:13:32It appears that someone made the order
3:13:34not so random yesterday.
3:13:37You can call me Sister Betty, and I will
3:13:39be accompanying you back to the academy
3:13:40today.
3:13:42She greeted him.
3:13:43Good morning, Sister Betty.
3:13:46What brings you to the Divine Golden
3:13:48Academy?
3:13:49Carl asked.
3:13:51A group of final year students wanted to
3:13:53take on a level five mission to push for
3:13:55the commander rank.
3:13:57They have found some evidence of
3:13:58commander rank resources that they think
3:14:00will allow them to advance, but they
3:14:02needed an appropriate healer.
3:14:04Betty actually seemed excited to be
3:14:06going on a mission that dangerous, but
3:14:08Carl was thinking of the locust swarm
3:14:10that he had encountered in the south.
3:14:13Well, I hope that it's nothing you can't
3:14:14handle.
3:14:16I went to the south to look for suitable
3:14:18partners, and we came across a monster
3:14:20attack on an outpost.
3:14:22Even with the team I was assigned to
3:14:24assisting the town's defense, it was a
3:14:26bit dicey.
3:14:28He explained.
3:14:29Betty nodded.
3:14:31I am a priestess of the red dragon, the
3:14:33dragon god of war.
3:14:35Healing is secondary among my abilities,
3:14:38as my goddess grants me various
3:14:39abilities relating to combat buffs and
3:14:41holy light attacks.
3:14:44It makes me uniquely suited to this sort
3:14:46of mission.
3:14:47A young man, shorter than Carl despite
3:14:49being 10 years older and with a balding
3:14:52hairline that didn't match his youthful
3:14:53features, walked up behind her and
3:14:55patted her on the shoulder.
3:14:57What she's saying is that she's probably
3:14:59a better fighter than their warriors,
3:15:01and she's always happy to get away from
3:15:03the sound of children crying.
3:15:05He laughed.
3:15:07You work with children?
3:15:09Carl asked in confusion.
3:15:11Betty smiled fondly at some memory as
3:15:13she replied.
3:15:15War creates orphans, so the dragon god
3:15:18of war charges her priestesses with the
3:15:19care of them.
3:15:21When I'm here, I am the physical
3:15:23education teacher for the orphan
3:15:24children under age 12 when they get
3:15:27sorted by the serum and their aptitude
3:15:28for magic.
3:15:30Carl's gym teacher in primary school was
3:15:32a paunchy and balding middle-aged man
3:15:34who couldn't even keep up with the kids.
3:15:37He just stood in the middle of the field
3:15:39and yelled orders.
3:15:41You seem like you would be an excellent
3:15:42teacher.
3:15:44I can see that you have a fondness for
3:15:45children.
3:15:47She nodded happily.
3:15:49All dragons do.
3:15:51Carl froze in shock.
3:15:53Back up.
3:15:55Did you just say dragon?
3:15:57He stammered.
3:15:59Oh, it's so cute when they don't know.
3:16:02Yes, all the chromatic dragon
3:16:04priestesses have at least some dragon
3:16:05features, either by birth or as a result
3:16:08of the divine serum.
3:16:10I am technically a dragonkin now, as I
3:16:12have no tail or wings and can't
3:16:14transform, but I did gain some dragon
3:16:16instincts and senses.
3:16:19It is a result of the serum awakening
3:16:21and lets me use magic much more easily
3:16:23than most humans and gives me an
3:16:25affinity for my goddess.
3:16:27You can think of us as something like
3:16:28the berserker class of the cleric world.
3:16:31The boy beside her shifted his voice to
3:16:34a whisper in anticipation of the matron
3:16:36entering for breakfast.
3:16:38All clergy in the Golden Dragon Nation
3:16:40work together.
3:16:41It's the same set of holy books, after
3:16:44all, and with the serum, many clerics
3:16:46now awaken to the powers of other gods
3:16:48and goddesses within the pantheon.
3:16:51I am a priest of the god of magic, and
3:16:53the one who just sat on your other side
3:16:55is a priestess of the god of nature.
3:16:57It's not really necessary to separate us
3:17:00most of the time, but like the mages and
3:17:02warriors of your academy, we have
3:17:04slightly different powers.
3:17:06And that is why we all use brother and
3:17:08sister as titles.
3:17:10Because it doesn't really matter unless
3:17:12you have some personal business with our
3:17:13god.
3:17:15Sister Betty whispered.
3:17:17Carl had only known a little bit of
3:17:18that, and the details of how the inner
3:17:20relations of the church and the way that
3:17:22the serum enforced loyalty to the
3:17:24different gods and goddesses of the
3:17:26pantheon was an intriguing topic.
3:17:29They were all part of the same group, so
3:17:31maybe he could consider it more like a
3:17:32researcher's specialties.
3:17:35Like how the mining town had four
3:17:36geologists, but they all specialized in
3:17:39different things.
3:17:41Carl realized that he hadn't even
3:17:42noticed that someone had sat down next
3:17:44to him and gave the young woman who had
3:17:46been introduced as a priestess of the
3:17:48nature god a tentative smile.
3:17:50She smiled back, a truly happy
3:17:52expression, but Carl noticed that under
3:17:55the smell of soap and flowers, there was
3:17:57a coppery note of blood lingering around
3:17:59her.
3:18:00He must have made some expression as the
3:18:02woman gave a soft laugh and patted him
3:18:04on the shoulder.
3:18:05Betty is the same way. She can smell the
3:18:08blood as well.
3:18:09I am a midwife, and there was a birth
3:18:11last night, or technically this morning,
3:18:13at the hospital on the grounds.
3:18:16To everyone else, I should just smell
3:18:18like hospital soap, but for For like the
3:18:20dragon priestesses and some really
3:18:22sensitive rangers and druids, I tend to
3:18:24smell like blood and babies.
3:18:27She explained quietly.
3:18:29My apologies, I didn't mean to offend.
3:18:32I was just a bit startled when I smelled
3:18:34fresh blood here inside the Seminary
3:18:36Academy.
3:18:38When there is a lot of it, the smell
3:18:40lingers more than if there is only a
3:18:41scratch.
3:18:43I do hope the young mother is all right.
3:18:46Carl whispered back.
3:18:48Here, in the Seminary Academy hospital.
3:18:51We haven't lost a mother during
3:18:53childbirth in most of a decade.
3:18:55Not all the children can be saved, but
3:18:57with magic, the actual childbirth
3:18:59process is much safer.
3:19:02She replied happily.
3:19:04Sister Betty stared at the trays of food
3:19:06waiting at the edge of the room for the
3:19:08matron to enter.
3:19:10As you can see, on the outside, we're
3:19:12all the Golden Dragon Church.
3:19:14On the inside, we all have our
3:19:16specialties.
3:19:18So, don't go falling for those hussies
3:19:20who just want some outdoor adventures.
3:19:22You need to make sure that you're
3:19:23getting a cleric that can handle the
3:19:25task that you need them to.
3:19:27I would say that you should pick one of
3:19:28those newly awakened world dragon
3:19:30clerics, but it will be years before
3:19:32they're allowed to play unsupervised,
3:19:34and you're already much stronger than
3:19:36they are.
3:19:37The cleric doesn't have to be the
3:19:38strongest awakened on your team, but it
3:19:40helps if they can take a punch.
3:19:43She whispered.
3:19:45Yeah, because you should always eat the
3:19:46healers and magic users first.
3:19:49Then watch the rest panic and despair as
3:19:51they're trapped in the web.
3:19:53Ray added wistfully, not realizing how
3:19:56her spider instincts still made her
3:19:57sound like an edgy teen human.
3:20:00You are smiling at something.
3:20:02Do you hear your beasts in your mind?
3:20:05The life priestess asked.
3:20:07I do.
3:20:09Ray, the bloodbath spider, said that
3:20:11it's common sense to target the healers
3:20:13and magic users first, because the
3:20:15others won't be able to get themselves
3:20:17free of the web.
3:20:19Carl replied.
3:20:21The priestess shuddered at the thought,
3:20:22while the priest of the magic god looked
3:20:24horrified.
3:20:26But Sister Betty grunted in agreement.
3:20:29That was part of the reason she put so
3:20:31much effort into her fighting skills.
3:20:33I like the dragon lady.
3:20:36Ask if we can polish her scales later.
3:20:39Thor suggested.
3:20:41Carl choked on his water as the
3:20:42lightning sero's voice entered his mind,
3:20:44and Betty smiled.
3:20:46It has to be difficult having three more
3:20:48intelligent minds giving you
3:20:50suggestions.
3:20:51I used to have a pet nicomeda, and it
3:20:54got up to all sorts of trouble.
3:20:56Betty joked, then pulled back her blonde
3:20:58hair to show a long claw mark that ran
3:21:01up the back of her neck and into her
3:21:02hairline.
3:21:04She tried to climb my head as a kitten
3:21:05and slipped over the back because my
3:21:07hair was oily.
3:21:09She added.
3:21:10What did your beasts have to say that
3:21:12made you choke?
3:21:14The priest of the magic god asked.
3:21:17Thor, the lightning sero, wants to
3:21:19polish Sister Betty's later.
3:21:22He likes her, but then he likes almost
3:21:24everyone.
3:21:25Betty smiled.
3:21:27The only scales I have are on my
3:21:29forearms.
3:21:30But I bet that he has wonderful scales,
3:21:33very smooth and strong.
3:21:35Thor made a humming noise that was
3:21:37somewhere between a purr and his happy
3:21:38bugle.
3:21:40See, she likes scales. I knew she would
3:21:42appreciate my scales.
3:21:45If we have time later, he would be
3:21:47overjoyed to show you his scales.
3:21:50Carl relayed quietly as the juniors
3:21:52began to bring around pots of oatmeal
3:21:54and soft bread rolls.
3:21:56They finished the simple meal in
3:21:57silence, not wanting to disturb anyone
3:21:59this early in the morning, and as soon
3:22:01as the matron finished eating, Betty
3:22:03pulled Carl to his feet and gestured
3:22:05toward a side room.
3:22:07There are showers over there.
3:22:09Get freshened up and pack your bags. We
3:22:12will be meeting in an hour.
3:22:14I will bring you from your room to the
3:22:15bus, so you don't get lost.
3:22:18She informed him.
3:22:20Got it.
3:22:21I will see you soon.
3:22:23Carl agreed as he rushed out to get
3:22:25washed.
3:22:26The signs for the shower rooms were
3:22:28carved into the stone above the door, so
3:22:30there could be no mistakes, even if you
3:22:32couldn't tell by the different color
3:22:33schemes.
3:22:35It was a quick wash so that he had time
3:22:37to make sure everything was ready before
3:22:39Betty came looking for him, and Carl
3:22:41began to realize that he had vastly
3:22:43underestimated what the words morning
3:22:45people meant.
3:22:47He got up just after dawn every day for
3:22:49training.
3:22:50But most of the people he had seen were
3:22:52already showered and ready before the
3:22:54sun had fully crossed the horizon.
3:22:57He wasn't alone in his timing. There was
3:22:59a constant stream of students coming in
3:23:00to get washed up before their daily
3:23:02chores, and from the talk, there would
3:23:04be even more after them, as some of the
3:23:06chores were dirty ones, and it would be
3:23:08rude to smell that bad all day.
3:23:11Carl hurried to check his bag, though he
3:23:13hadn't unpacked anything last night.
3:23:16Everything was still there, loaded up
3:23:18with supplies and herbs for the journey
3:23:20back to the academy.
3:23:21Sister Betty seemed to have been ready
3:23:23for that eventuality, and only minutes
3:23:25after Carl was done checking his bag,
3:23:27she was at the door knocking for him to
3:23:29come out.
3:23:31Your team will still be a while, but we
3:23:33can go wait for the bus, and perhaps
3:23:35your Thor can come out and say hello.
3:23:38She suggested.
3:23:40That would explain the eagerness.
3:23:42Nobody could resist Thor's charms, even
3:23:45when they hadn't met him yet.
3:23:47That was how Carl found himself in front
3:23:49of the bus a half hour later, surrounded
3:23:51by clerics and a bus driver, while Thor
3:23:53rumbled happily as he got his scales
3:23:55rubbed.
3:23:56Everyone had gathered, and they should
3:23:58have been ready to go, but nobody could
3:24:00resist just one more pat, and the
3:24:02lightning sero had gathered a huge fan
3:24:04following.
3:24:06All right, break it up.
3:24:08The bus has to leave now, and you all
3:24:10have chores to get to.
3:24:12An older man's voice announced.
3:24:15The students scattered, and Carl's team
3:24:17began to get on the bus while the older
3:24:19professor watched to make sure that they
3:24:21were all behaving.
3:24:22Once he was certain that they were all
3:24:24going back to their assigned tasks, the
3:24:26professor came over and gave Thor a
3:24:28quick head rub, then motioned for Carl
3:24:30to put him away and get on the bus.
3:24:33The driver started out as soon as all
3:24:34the bags were stored, carefully stacked
3:24:37upright so that the contents weren't
3:24:38dumped or damaged during the journey.
3:24:41It was going to be another long ride,
3:24:43though probably not as long as the train
3:24:45ride to get to the mission site, as it
3:24:47had made multiple delivery stops along
3:24:49the way.
3:24:50Did you all have a productive trip
3:24:52before it was cut short by the
3:24:53emergency?
3:24:55Betty asked as the bus left the Seminary
3:24:57Academy compound.
3:24:59Well, not as well as the group you'll be
3:25:01going with, since we were after common
3:25:03grade resources, but we managed to fill
3:25:05our bags before we returned to the train
3:25:07tracks.
3:25:08Unlike your academy, which has all the
3:25:10healers, we are short on them, so we
3:25:12stocked up on the ingredients for
3:25:14healing salves and potions when we
3:25:15managed to find them.
3:25:17It's not as cool as holy magic, but it's
3:25:20a lot better than nothing, and a little
3:25:21on the wounds after a bad training day
3:25:23can help keep us in top shape.
3:25:26Carl explained.
3:25:28The muscular dragon cleric laughed.
3:25:31Can you imagine if they mixed the two
3:25:32academies, though?
3:25:34A bunch of frail and delicate little
3:25:36innocent clerics thrown to the wolves
3:25:38with the warrior trainees.
3:25:40The majors laughed at her implication.
3:25:43They were the frail and delicate ones,
3:25:45but they had offensive magic.
3:25:48However, from what they had seen,
3:25:50delicate and innocent was a pretty small
3:25:52portion of the students at the Seminary
3:25:53Academy, as they were mostly sent there
3:25:55after the serum awakening.
3:25:58A compatibility with holy magic didn't
3:26:00soften them that much, as Betty herself
3:26:02was a testament to.
3:26:04The bus bounced along the gravel road,
3:26:06then the ride smoothed as they got to
3:26:08proper pavement and passed through the
3:26:10edge of a few small towns.
3:26:12The small farm towns were even more
3:26:14rural than the mines were, and Carl
3:26:16noticed how the locals would turn to
3:26:18look at the bus as it passed, wondering
3:26:20if it would be stopping.
3:26:22The bus had government plates, and it
3:26:24was clearly for official purposes.
3:26:27Official purposes meant either one of
3:26:28the local businesses was getting audited
3:26:30by the tax service, or there was
3:26:32something horribly wrong that required a
3:26:34team of elites to be sent out.
3:26:36So, if it looked like it was going to
3:26:38stop anywhere but the gas station or the
3:26:40diner, it was big news, and they needed
3:26:43to warn everyone.
3:26:45Or stop what they were doing and gossip
3:26:47about it, which was the same thing,
3:26:49really.
3:26:50So, when the bus did stop to let them
3:26:52out to get some lunch, Carl wasn't
3:26:54surprised that the locals seemed to
3:26:55vanish from the streets at first, until
3:26:58the group had made the walk from the gas
3:26:59station to the cafe.
3:27:01Priestess, elites, what can I get for
3:27:04you today?
3:27:05I've only got the one cook on, so it
3:27:07might take a minute.
3:27:09The older woman in a faded apron greeted
3:27:11them over the sound of bells ringing to
3:27:13announce their arrival.
3:27:15Betty smiled at her.
3:27:17We will just take the special. Make it
3:27:1912 of them in total. The driver is still
3:27:21fueling the bus.
3:27:23Coming right up.
3:27:25Betty turned to the group.
3:27:27Do you know about the expense accounts?
3:27:30Carl nodded.
3:27:32Yeah, I got the card with my equipment.
3:27:35Direct bill, no need for a reimbursement
3:27:37form.
3:27:39I'm told that is the much more popular
3:27:40option when the amount isn't so extreme
3:27:42that it exceeds the petty cash we are
3:27:44allotted for the mission.
3:27:46The direct billing makes life easier.
3:27:49The elites just pay with the card, but
3:27:51the clergy carry a bit of cash and
3:27:53mostly rely on goodwill.
3:27:56She explained.
3:27:57In a way, that was the same case today,
3:28:00as it would all be going on the expense
3:28:02account card that Carl had been given
3:28:03for the mission.
3:28:05He would have to account for the
3:28:06spending, but he couldn't see anyone
3:28:08arguing about them ordering the special
3:28:10at a small town diner.
3:28:12It was likely cheaper than the
3:28:13replacement of the uniform pieces that
3:28:15they had damaged during the trip.
3:28:18The waitress brought out large bowls of
3:28:20stew with entire loaves of bread and
3:28:21fresh butter, a luxury at the mines as
3:28:24they were too far from the suitable
3:28:26cattle grazing areas to get butter for
3:28:27cheap.
3:28:29The nutrition of it wouldn't do much for
3:28:30the elites, but it would fill their
3:28:32stomachs for the day and that was the
3:28:34important part.
3:28:36There you go, dears.
3:28:38It might not be so fancy as you are used
3:28:40to, but the farmers will tell you sure
3:28:42enough that there's nothing better.
3:28:45She announced as she set the bowls on
3:28:46the table.
3:28:48Betty winked at the woman and gestured
3:28:49at her bowl with her spoon.
3:28:52How could anything that smells that good
3:28:53not taste spectacular?
3:28:55Just set the last one here and the
3:28:57driver will be along shortly.
3:29:00The server smiled and nodded.
3:29:02The station is full service, so he's
3:29:04likely just chatting while the bus
3:29:06fills.
3:29:07It takes a bit. Our pumps aren't the
3:29:09fastest.
3:29:11The driver came in as she was speaking,
3:29:13making the bells on the door jingle as
3:29:15the old server nodded in satisfaction.
3:29:18And that's everyone.
3:29:20Holler if you need anything.
3:29:22The driver took his seat with a polite
3:29:24nod to the rest of the group and began
3:29:26to eat with such enthusiasm that the
3:29:28server was beaming at him like her child
3:29:30had just won an award.
3:29:32We don't have long to sit around today.
3:29:34There have been issues along the road
3:29:36thanks to rain and there is more bad
3:29:38weather set to roll in later tonight.
3:29:41The driver explained as he ate.
3:29:44All right then.
3:29:45We won't hold the process up.
3:29:48Everyone, be ready to finish your lunch
3:29:50by the time that the driver is done.
3:29:52If you need more snacks, perhaps this
3:29:54lovely lady would pack us some
3:29:56sandwiches for the road.
3:29:58Carl agreed.
3:30:00She began calling back to the kitchen to
3:30:02get sandwiches made for the traveling
3:30:04elites and the driver smiled.
3:30:06It's likely the most business they've
3:30:08seen all week other than the morning
3:30:10coffee crowd.
3:30:12Farmers love to come in and chat in the
3:30:14mornings. It's how they pass the news
3:30:16around to those who don't live in town.
3:30:19The driver quietly explained.
3:30:21The group finished eating as quickly as
3:30:23they could and then walked back to the
3:30:25bus, which was just finishing receiving
3:30:27fuel.
3:30:29At least this stop is along the
3:30:30pipeline, so there is no shortage of
3:30:32fuel.
3:30:33The bus holds over a thousand liters, so
3:30:36it takes some time to pump.
3:30:38The driver explained as the students
3:30:40headed back for their seats.
3:30:42The waitress had mentioned the same
3:30:44thing and that their pumps were slow,
3:30:46but the driver quickly paid for the fuel
3:30:48and got them on the road.
3:30:50But their good intentions didn't help
3:30:52for long.
3:30:53No more than an hour down the road, they
3:30:55turned off the paved highway to start
3:30:57heading for the academy and the skies
3:30:59opened up with rainfall so heavy that
3:31:01they could barely see where they were
3:31:02going.
3:31:04The driver slowed down to under 50 km an
3:31:06hour as the rain got worse, pounding on
3:31:09the bus roof in a pattern that was
3:31:10starting to sound more like marbles on a
3:31:12tin roof.
3:31:14Can the mages keep a barrier up over the
3:31:16bus?
3:31:17It's starting to hail and the windows
3:31:19aren't armored.
3:31:21If we don't have something, we will have
3:31:22to find cover and stop until it passes.
3:31:26The driver asked.
3:31:28Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem.
3:31:30We can shield the bus while you drive.
3:31:33Dana agreed.
3:31:35They worked out a plan to each take a
3:31:37turn so that nobody got too exhausted
3:31:39with Dana going first as the hope was
3:31:41that the hail storm would not last long.
3:31:44She had the best barrier out of all of
3:31:46them and once it was up, the bus
3:31:48returned to silence, though they could
3:31:50see the hail landing all around them
3:31:52like tiny snowballs.
3:31:54That weather is crazy.
3:31:56Is it always like this in the prairies?
3:31:59Carl asked Betty, hoping that she would
3:32:01know the answer.
3:32:03The cleric shook her head.
3:32:05No, only a couple of times a year.
3:32:08But if you get hit by it, then there is
3:32:10a good chance that your crop is ruined
3:32:12for the year, so everyone hopes that
3:32:14when the storm hits, it doesn't hit
3:32:16their home.
3:32:17That made a lot of sense.
3:32:19This hail was brutal.
3:32:21They had seen a few hail storms at the
3:32:23mining town in the past, but usually
3:32:25never with hail larger than a pea.
3:32:28These stones were larger than golf balls
3:32:31and even Dana was beginning to grimace
3:32:33at the level of continued power that it
3:32:34was taking to keep the shield up.
3:32:37This is a natural phenomenon, right?
3:32:40One of the warriors asked as he looked
3:32:42out the window at the trees with their
3:32:43leaves gone and branches broken off.
3:32:46Some were lying in the road, but the
3:32:48driver wasn't about to get out and try
3:32:50to move them.
3:32:51He just carried on, driving over them
3:32:54and hoping for the best.
3:32:56After a few minutes, the hail turned
3:32:58back to a driving rain and the driver
3:33:00breathed a sigh of relief.
3:33:02You can let the barrier go for now.
3:33:06A bit of water won't hurt the bus any.
3:33:08A bit of water won't hurt the bus any.
3:33:11He instructed.
3:33:13But when they got another few kilometers
3:33:15down the road, they realized that the
3:33:17bus wasn't the only thing that was in
3:33:19danger from the weather.
3:33:21Large chunks of the road had washed out,
3:33:23forcing him to slowly weave his way
3:33:25through the remains of the road until
3:33:27they reached the river, which was
3:33:28running much higher than normal and
3:33:30about to reach the deck of the bridge.
3:33:33Think light thoughts, folks.
3:33:35If this bridge dips into the river,
3:33:37we're all in trouble.
3:33:39The pillars will hold, but if the water
3:33:41hits the bridge deck itself, it will get
3:33:44washed away before you know it.
3:33:46He warned them.
3:33:48The options were going now or never as
3:33:50the rain wasn't getting any lighter, so
3:33:52the bridge was almost certainly going to
3:33:54be gone in an hour, but the students
3:33:55nerves were frayed as they reached the
3:33:57far side just as the water began to
3:33:59splash up and onto the bridge deck.
3:34:02Just in time.
3:34:03Now, we follow the railroad for a few
3:34:06hours and we're home.
3:34:08Easy peasy.
3:34:09The road led up to a ridge line and the
3:34:11bus came to an abrupt stop, just sitting
3:34:14at the top in silence as the students
3:34:16wondered what was going on.
3:34:18Carl moved to the front so he could use
3:34:20his heightened eyesight to get a better
3:34:21idea of the problem, but what he found
3:34:23was far worse than he had imagined.
3:34:26The river had flooded and it had
3:34:28uprooted a number of trees, which had
3:34:30formed an improvised dam in the gully up
3:34:32ahead.
3:34:33That had diverted the river's route and
3:34:35now the road, as well as the railroad,
3:34:38were under an unknown amount of water
3:34:39for at least the next four kilometers
3:34:41before a hill rose out of the muddy
3:34:43rapids.
3:34:45Looks like this is where we sit for the
3:34:46evening.
3:34:48The rain isn't going to stop for a bit
3:34:50and it will take a day or more for the
3:34:51water to go down enough to know the
3:34:53extent of the damage.
3:34:55The academy will get the road fixed up
3:34:57as fast as they can, but unless it is
3:34:59urgent enough that they send a
3:35:00helicopter for you, we will be sitting
3:35:02right here until they do.
3:35:05One of the warriors gave a rueful smile
3:35:07as he watched the rain fall.
3:35:09And we can't even start a campfire to
3:35:11roast meat.
3:35:13I guess it's diner sandwiches and ration
3:35:15packs for dinner.
3:35:17Betty wiggled her fingers as if casting
3:35:19a spell.
3:35:20Don't forget that I know how to make
3:35:22food.
3:35:23Plus, I've got cooking utensils in my
3:35:25bag, including a magic burning stove.
3:35:29It's a real fancy item, but I was gifted
3:35:31it for helping with a dungeon raid at
3:35:32the end of last year and it's been a
3:35:34lifesaver more times than I can count.
3:35:37The warrior smiled.
3:35:39Well, the rice and beans are likely
3:35:41better than what is in my ration pack
3:35:43anyhow.
3:35:45It's nutritious, but too salty for my
3:35:47taste.
3:35:48Betty kindly didn't mention that the
3:35:50ration packs were designed that way so
3:35:52that they limited the number of times
3:35:53you had to use the toilet when you were
3:35:55in the field.
3:35:56The new students would learn that soon
3:35:58enough if they had been eating them all
3:36:00week.
3:36:01Betty got the cooking started while the
3:36:03others sat and watched the rain fall.
3:36:06They were in a good spot on an open
3:36:08hilltop with gently sloping sides that
3:36:10wouldn't wash away easily in the flood,
3:36:12but they were essentially trapped.
3:36:14The bridge behind them was gone and the
3:36:16road in front of them was flooded.
3:36:19They could try to head off through the
3:36:20open fields away from the river, but
3:36:22that didn't lead to the academy
3:36:26or to anywhere particularly useful that
3:36:28was within walking against the pot of
3:36:30rice and beans.
3:36:32Well, the rice is ready, so we might as
3:36:34well eat.
3:36:36Who knows how long we will end up
3:36:37sitting here, but one thing that I have
3:36:39learned is that if you sit on the top of
3:36:41a hill long enough, someone or something
3:36:43will come looking for you.
3:36:45Thanks for the words of encouragement.
3:36:48Carl laughed as he looked out into the
3:36:50heavy rain.
3:36:51Just making sure everyone is aware.
3:36:54There is a huge amount of the grasslands
3:36:56flooded and there are thousands of small
3:36:58creatures that live there.
3:37:00They all need somewhere to go and we're
3:37:02on the high ground, furthest from the
3:37:04water.
3:37:05The cleric reminded them.
3:37:08You have a point and I'm not sure that
3:37:10I'm happy about it.
3:37:11Carl replied, making her smile.
3:37:15You will find that I am very frequently
3:37:16right and you will very often not be
3:37:18happy about it.
3:37:20But that doesn't change the fact that we
3:37:22need to pay attention so that we're not
3:37:24caught off guard if something starts
3:37:25coming up that hill to get away from the
3:37:27flood waters.
3:37:29Too many of the animals have lost their
3:37:30homes for the day not to need to
3:37:32relocate, so it's best if we just set a
3:37:34guard now and expect that we're going to
3:37:36be attacked at some point this evening
3:37:38while we wait to see if the rain is
3:37:39going to stop.
3:37:41If it does, there is a chance that the
3:37:43flash flood will go down again fairly
3:37:45quickly and the railroad has been built
3:37:47to withstand a fair bit of flooding.
3:37:49But if the flow is too fast, then there
3:37:52isn't anything that is going to save
3:37:53that road and we will end up either
3:37:55walking it in with our driver or waiting
3:37:57here for them to fix the road.
3:38:00Betty reminded him.
3:38:02See, that's the part that we didn't want
3:38:04to hear.
3:38:05I wonder if we could just let Thor
3:38:07outside to chase off the smaller
3:38:08monsters.
3:38:10He suggested.
3:38:12Thor, chase off monsters."
3:38:14"You mean play with them, right?"
3:38:17"Thor is the least threatening monster I
3:38:19have ever met, and I had a pet
3:38:20Nikomada."
3:38:22Betty laughed.
3:38:23"Good point."
3:38:25"I would suggest Ray, but as much as she
3:38:27would enjoy eating the small creatures
3:38:29and insects, I can't see her agreeing to
3:38:31go out and stand in the rain."
3:38:34Carl joked.
3:38:35"You're smart."
3:38:37"But I doubt that even Thor would be
3:38:39happy about standing in that rain.
3:38:41The vibrations on his scales would drive
3:38:43him nuts.
3:38:45Heck, the vibrations of the heavy rain
3:38:47on his scales would drive me nuts, and
3:38:49I'm over here."
3:38:51"Well, be prepared for an emergency call
3:38:53out in the event that we are attacked,
3:38:55and it's more than a few spells can take
3:38:57care of."
3:38:58Carl could feel Ray rolling all of her
3:39:01eyes at him, but he didn't mind.
3:39:03She would go out to defend the bus if he
3:39:05asked her to.
3:39:07She just wouldn't be happy about it.
3:39:09After 2 hours of sitting in the pouring
3:39:11rain, the torrential downpour began to
3:39:14taper off, which let them not only see
3:39:16more clearly into the distance, but to
3:39:18see the damage that had been done by the
3:39:20flood, which had previously been hidden
3:39:22by the thick curtain of rain.
3:39:24The base of all the hills had been
3:39:25completely washed out.
3:39:28The road ended in a dramatic cliff that
3:39:30led down to the current level of the
3:39:31flood waters, and in the distance, there
3:39:33were train tracks torn up and pointed
3:39:35skyward, barely visible to Carl's
3:39:37enhanced vision.
3:39:39"Well, that's one question answered.
3:39:42We're not driving out of here anytime
3:39:44soon.
3:39:45But we can't exactly just leave someone
3:39:47here to wait for them to build a new
3:39:49road.
3:39:50Even leaving the bus here would just
3:39:52lead to it being vandalized by monsters.
3:39:55Hopefully, the train tracks coming into
3:39:57the school from the other direction are
3:39:58still in good shape because I can see
3:40:00from here that the tracks in front of us
3:40:02are demolished."
3:40:03Carl noted.
3:40:05The driver shook his head.
3:40:07"Fat lot of good it will do them.
3:40:10The supplies come from this side.
3:40:13If they go the long way around, they'll
3:40:15be a whole day behind before they get to
3:40:16the academy, and with the limited amount
3:40:18of heavy equipment that the government
3:40:20has in the area for this sort of
3:40:21emergency, it will take them weeks to
3:40:23get the tracks fixed.
3:40:25I will have to rely on you lot to get me
3:40:27to the academy once the water level goes
3:40:29down.
3:40:30They can replace the bus, but I can't
3:40:33replace me."
3:40:34"Good point.
3:40:36The bus is just a bus, but it would be
3:40:38nice if we could keep it.
3:40:40I don't fancy walking all the way to the
3:40:42academy from here."
3:40:44Carl agreed.
3:40:46"Well, the bus is set up for some minor
3:40:48off-road travel, so it might be possible
3:40:50to wait a day or two for the ground to
3:40:52dry and then go around on the high
3:40:53ground."
3:40:55The driver suggested helpfully.
3:40:57Betty snorted in amusement.
3:41:00"We've got five strapping young warriors
3:41:02and a set of shovels in the belly.
3:41:05They have superhuman strength, so I'm
3:41:07reasonably certain that they can flatten
3:41:08out a few potholes and cliffs for us to
3:41:10get the bus through.
3:41:12Once the sun comes up tomorrow morning,
3:41:14we will see what it looks like, and then
3:41:16we will ask them if they want to patch
3:41:18the worst spots in the road to get past
3:41:20the flood zone, or if they would prefer
3:41:22to walk the last 80 or so kilometers
3:41:24back home."
3:41:25The warriors laughed.
3:41:27"I think we can safely say that if it's
3:41:29at all possible, we would rather work a
3:41:31shovel for the morning than walk the
3:41:33distance.
3:41:34Plus, it will get a bit of the road
3:41:36fixed so that they can get more vehicles
3:41:38through here in the next few days.
3:41:40If we play our cards right, the academy
3:41:43might even thank us for taking a few
3:41:45more days off from classes to fix the
3:41:47road."
3:41:48One of them suggested.
3:41:50"Good point.
3:41:52We can call it strength training and
3:41:53flatten out a path good enough to get
3:41:55the bus through, which will let them get
3:41:57the armored cars through as well.
3:41:59It might be a while before they fix the
3:42:01bridge or the train tracks, but we can
3:42:03at least do that much.
3:42:05This part isn't part of the river
3:42:07itself, I don't think.
3:42:09It just flooded because those trees
3:42:11blocked everything up."
3:42:13Another warrior agreed.
3:42:15Betty looked toward the blocked portion
3:42:17of the river.
3:42:19"But before that, we need to send a
3:42:20golem or something to pull that blockage
3:42:22free, so the river will flow properly.
3:42:25If we don't, it will be days before the
3:42:28road is dry enough for anything to move
3:42:30through the area."
3:42:31She was disturbingly right again.
3:42:34That blockage was keeping the entire
3:42:36area flooded, and if it wasn't removed,
3:42:38the water would never drain naturally.
3:42:40It would just remain stagnant here until
3:42:42a drought hit or the river found a new
3:42:44path.
3:42:45The students slowly snacked on the rice
3:42:47and beans as they watched the sun begin
3:42:50to slip further toward the horizon.
3:42:52Betty was right. They were going to have
3:42:54to remove that blockage before the
3:42:56valley would drain, and the best option
3:42:58to do it was golems.
3:43:00The problem was that the mages who could
3:43:02use golems didn't really have good ones
3:43:04other than Dana, so sending them to pull
3:43:06whole trees from a riverbank was a
3:43:08pretty big request.
3:43:10They were still common grade golems for
3:43:12the most part, so they wouldn't have the
3:43:14strength, and many of them were small
3:43:16mud and clay golems, which weren't big
3:43:18on physical strength to begin with.
3:43:20Carl looked out into the pouring rain
3:43:22with a rueful smile.
3:43:24"Well, it looks like this one is on you,
3:43:27Dana.
3:43:28Just have them grab one of the logs and
3:43:30use it as a poker from the shore to
3:43:32break up the blockage a little, and it
3:43:33should be all right.
3:43:35We used to make dams in the creeks when
3:43:37it rained, so we didn't have to pump
3:43:39water to play in.
3:43:41But when the creeks got too full, you
3:43:43had to drain them back down to normal
3:43:45levels.
3:43:46All right, I will have the golems give
3:43:48it a try.
3:43:49They're not the most intelligent, and
3:43:51I'm not going to go out there to
3:43:52supervise them.
3:43:54So there is a good chance that it will
3:43:56take them a while to get it right."
3:43:58Dana reluctantly agreed, not hiding the
3:44:00fact that she had no intentions of going
3:44:03out into the storm.
3:44:04"But on the bright side, if they do fall
3:44:07in the water, at least they won't drown.
3:44:10All they have to do is just keep working
3:44:12until the log jam is broken, and it's
3:44:14perfect."
3:44:15One of the other mages joked.
3:44:18The driver turned to look at them.
3:44:20"You know, she's got a point.
3:44:23The golems are strong, right?
3:44:25I've got a length of chain here with a
3:44:27hook on it.
3:44:28You could have them hook a few of the
3:44:30logs and just pull.
3:44:32Most of the time, these blockages aren't
3:44:34all that solid.
3:44:36It's not like it's blocking all the
3:44:38water, just enough that the increased
3:44:40flow of the river isn't moving past, but
3:44:42the flow of the river will be filling up
3:44:43the gaps with sediment and mud, so the
3:44:45faster we can fix it, the better."
3:44:48That meant that someone had to go
3:44:49outside to get the recovery hook, which
3:44:51was intended to attach to the winch on
3:44:53the front and back of the bus.
3:44:55But Dana kindly extended the barrier for
3:44:58him while the driver got the equipment
3:44:59out along with 100 m of wire rope.
3:45:03"There.
3:45:04If you can explain to them how to use
3:45:06that, they will be able to pull the logs
3:45:08free in no time at all."
3:45:10Carl looked outside at the tangled mass
3:45:12of logs and shook his head.
3:45:15There was no way that the golems were
3:45:16going to figure that out without help.
3:45:19But the rain was starting to slow down
3:45:21to just a moderate downpour, and he knew
3:45:23that he could give them proper
3:45:24directions.
3:45:26"I will go out with the golems and give
3:45:27them the orders.
3:45:29I have a barrier ability that might
3:45:31help, and if not, I've got dry clothes
3:45:33here for when I get back.
3:45:35I will help the golems get the river
3:45:37flowing properly again."
3:45:39Carl informed the group.
3:45:41Nobody was going to argue.
3:45:44The golems needed a supervisor, and they
3:45:46didn't want to go out in the rain with
3:45:48them, but Carl didn't actually know if
3:45:50the refreshing lightning barrier would
3:45:51keep him dry.
3:45:53"Thor, any thoughts?"
3:45:55Carl asked.
3:45:57"Rain feels good on the scales."
3:46:00The sleepy lightning Sero answered.
3:46:03"No, about the barrier stopping the
3:46:05rain."
3:46:06Carl replied.
3:46:08"Oh.
3:46:09Probably, I guess.
3:46:11It blocks most things."
3:46:14Dana called out the pair of golems with
3:46:16directions to take the equipment and
3:46:17follow Carl's orders, and Carl stepped
3:46:20out into the rain with the lightning
3:46:21barrier active.
3:46:23The rain simply sheeted off him, not
3:46:25actually touching him, and Carl smiled
3:46:27in satisfaction.
3:46:29That would do well enough.
3:46:31It wasn't far to where the blockage was,
3:46:34but he didn't want to go down the hill
3:46:35and risk himself plus the golems
3:46:37slipping in the mud and ending up in the
3:46:39floodwaters.
3:46:40He could likely get Hawk to save him,
3:46:42but it would be embarrassing and
3:46:44unnecessary.
3:46:46"Pass me the equipment."
3:46:48Carl ordered once they were as close as
3:46:50he felt comfortable getting to the edge
3:46:52of the washed-out hill.
3:46:53The golem turned over the coil of wire
3:46:56and the large hook, and Carl did his
3:46:58best to remember how they did the lasso
3:46:59throw in cowboy movies.
3:47:02They had a cattle rancher with them on
3:47:03the bus who would know how to do this,
3:47:05but he didn't want to wait all night for
3:47:07the rain to stop and the logs to pack up
3:47:09with mud to the point that it would take
3:47:10a construction team to extricate them.
3:47:13Carl tossed the hook, and when it had
3:47:15flown past the upright log he wanted to
3:47:17try first, he pulled back on the wire to
3:47:20stop it and throw again.
3:47:22But to his surprise, that made the hook
3:47:24dive down into the log, and as Carl
3:47:26tried to shake it loose, he ended up
3:47:28wrapping the one he wanted with the
3:47:30wire.
3:47:31"It looks like I intended to do that.
3:47:33All right, you two, get a good hold on
3:47:36this cable and give it a nice steady
3:47:38pull until I tell you to stop."
3:47:40He ordered.
3:47:42The golems grabbed the wire and began to
3:47:44pull, which began to tilt the log and
3:47:46lift it up out of the pile.
3:47:48It was really working.
3:47:50They might not get the whole pile free,
3:47:52but they had a good start on the first
3:47:54log.
3:47:55Then with a booming crack, the log
3:47:57shattered, and the golems took two steps
3:47:59backward as the top half of the log came
3:48:02flying toward them and landed on the
3:48:03hillside.
3:48:05"Stop.
3:48:06That's good enough.
3:48:08Carl ordered.
3:48:10The top of the pile began to collapse
3:48:12and a few dozen logs broke free to float
3:48:14down the river, which sent a torrent of
3:48:16water flowing over the top of the other
3:48:18logs and dislodged even more of them.
3:48:21Pull the rest of the rope back up here
3:48:23so I can free our log and try again.
3:48:26Carl ordered as the water level began to
3:48:28equalize at the top of the new dam a few
3:48:30minutes later.
3:48:32Six failed attempts to replicate his
3:48:33first throw later, he had hooked another
3:48:35log and the golems gave a mighty heave,
3:48:38digging themselves into the dirt as it
3:48:40began to tilt.
3:48:41This one wasn't coming up out of the
3:48:43pile. It was taking the pile with it as
3:48:45it lifted out of the mud and it was
3:48:47unclear if they had the strength.
3:48:49Thor, come out and help pull.
3:48:52Carl ordered.
3:48:54Then he grabbed the wire himself,
3:48:56standing between the golems and Thor,
3:48:58who had grabbed it in his mouth further
3:49:00back than his sharp beak.
3:49:02The four of them pulled and a massive
3:49:04explosion of logs was thrown up in the
3:49:06air, creating a proper breach in the dam
3:49:09and a massive flood of water began to
3:49:10pour through, raising the flood level on
3:49:12the other side by over a meter as the
3:49:14water raced to escape.
3:49:16Anyone downstream of that was not going
3:49:18to be happy with him.
3:49:20As the log jam began to crumble, Carl
3:49:23threw the hook again, pulling another
3:49:25log from the edge of the pile furthest
3:49:27from his reach.
3:49:28The extra effort helped dislodge a bit
3:49:30more of the blockage and widen the gap
3:49:32that the water had to escape from the
3:49:34flooded area.
3:49:36It was turning into a whole new
3:49:37riverbank at this point, but at least it
3:49:39was roughly following the original
3:49:41course now and not trying to detour
3:49:43through a different valley.
3:49:45Thor had dropped his lightning shield so
3:49:47that he could bask in the feeling of the
3:49:48rain on his glossy green scales and the
3:49:51golems remained silent beside Carl as he
3:49:53stood and watched the raging floodwaters
3:49:55begin to diminish as the downpour turned
3:49:57into a more manageable light drizzle.
3:49:59He had left most of the logs that were
3:50:01near the hill, trying to prevent the
3:50:03water from cutting the hill out from
3:50:05beneath him and it appeared to have
3:50:06worked for now.
3:50:08Much of the sloping hillside was gone,
3:50:10but beside him, there was a solid
3:50:12barrier of logs that they could pull out
3:50:14later to make an improvised bridge to
3:50:16cross the worst of the damaged areas.
3:50:18The idea had come to Carl as he watched
3:50:20the way that the logs held up to the
3:50:22force of the water and the other debris
3:50:24that was smashed into them.
3:50:26Even if they were going to pack dirt on
3:50:28top of it to make a proper road, putting
3:50:30a row of logs out would make for a much
3:50:32more stable base than packing deeper
3:50:33mud.
3:50:35They even had plenty of elites with
3:50:36slicing type skills that could split
3:50:38them lengthwise, making a flat surface
3:50:40for the bus and giving them more to work
3:50:42with.
3:50:43So, instead of clearing more of the
3:50:45blockage, Carl set about pulling more of
3:50:48the largest logs from the river and up
3:50:50along the bank.
3:50:51It prevented them from piling up again
3:50:53further downstream, but more
3:50:55importantly, it left them nearby for him
3:50:57to work with when it came time to move
3:50:59the bus.
3:51:00All the students wondered what Carl was
3:51:02doing with his huge pile of logs by the
3:51:04time that the rain finally ended, but
3:51:06the driver understood very well.
3:51:09In fact, he would have asked them to go
3:51:11hunt for some eventually because they
3:51:12were going to need them to get across
3:51:14that flood plain.
3:51:15But he wasn't going to send anyone out
3:51:17into that downpour and risk someone
3:51:19sliding down into the waters.
3:51:22There would be plenty of logs available
3:51:23once the water went down, no matter
3:51:25where they looked.
3:51:27This area had been heavily forested and
3:51:29they would naturally pile up everywhere
3:51:31that the waters were forced to divert by
3:51:33a hill or other obstacle.
3:51:35As the rain stopped, Carl sent Hawk up
3:51:38to scout the area and survey a path
3:51:40forward for them.
3:51:41Good news.
3:51:43If we go from here across the spot where
3:51:45the blockage was, we can be on mostly
3:51:47flat land for at least the next 10 km,
3:51:50then the metal road comes back and there
3:51:52is one more crossing, but its bridge is
3:51:54high and it is still standing.
3:51:56After that, the river and the metal road
3:51:58go in different directions.
3:52:01Hawk reported.
3:52:02Good work.
3:52:04It will take some effort to cut a road
3:52:06down the hill and across the other side,
3:52:08but we can do that easily enough with
3:52:10all of us.
3:52:11As long as that other bridge is as good
3:52:13as it looks, we should be home in time
3:52:15for lunch.
3:52:17Now we are talking.
3:52:19Drake doesn't taste as good as it
3:52:20smells.
3:52:22Once the waters began to slow, Carl
3:52:24called Thor and Hawk back into the beast
3:52:26space and returned to the bus to be
3:52:28greeted by the energetic applause of his
3:52:30classmates.
3:52:32The driver addressed the group.
3:52:34We will stay here on the hill overnight
3:52:36and set a watch.
3:52:38Get as much sleep as you can because
3:52:40there will be shoveling and log
3:52:41splitting in the morning.
3:52:43Awakened Carl, did you find the route
3:52:45home?
3:52:46Carl nodded.
3:52:48If we cross where I was working and make
3:52:50a road up that hill, we can drive across
3:52:52a high flat spot until the road curves
3:52:54back to meet us.
3:52:56Then Hawk says there is a tall bridge
3:52:58that is still standing and after that,
3:53:01the railroad and the river go different
3:53:02directions.
3:53:04The driver took out a map and turned it
3:53:06to face the direction that they were.
3:53:08I see where he means.
3:53:11That is a railroad bridge, but there are
3:53:13runners for the vehicles to pass as
3:53:15well.
3:53:16It is nearly 60 m long and sits atop a
3:53:19deep coulee, so the water would have
3:53:20been far below its base.
3:53:23Yes, that should work.
3:53:25Normally, that route would be considered
3:53:27impossible because of the hills, but if
3:53:29we cut them and make a new bridge to
3:53:31cross the river, we should be all right.
3:53:34It won't be a pretty bridge, but with
3:53:36those big trees, we should have enough
3:53:38to span the stream once it calms down
3:53:40and the rough boards will let us get up
3:53:42the other side once it is cut into a
3:53:43slope.
3:53:45He explained to the students.
3:53:47None of them had anything even
3:53:49resembling bridge-building experience
3:53:51other than the driver, who had to
3:53:53improvise to get across rivers more than
3:53:54once in his career, so they were
3:53:56trusting him on this one.
3:53:58When it wasn't flooded, this wasn't a
3:54:00big river, so they had high hopes for
3:54:02his plan as well as Carl's collection of
3:54:04logs.
3:54:06Hawk's voice interrupted Carl's
3:54:08thoughts.
3:54:09Let me out. Let me out.
3:54:11He shouted and Carl realized that he had
3:54:14actually ordered them to stay in for the
3:54:16night, something that he rarely did.
3:54:18Go ahead.
3:54:20Carl agreed and the wind speed Hawk
3:54:22appeared on the roof of the bus, then
3:54:24gave a mighty flap of his wings and
3:54:26streaked off into the darkness.
3:54:28Then he dive-bombed something on the
3:54:30ground and returned to land on the roof
3:54:32with the body of a massive snake.
3:54:34Snake, snake, snake. Chomp, chomp,
3:54:37chomp.
3:54:38Hawk sang happily to himself as he began
3:54:40to portion it into manageable pieces.
3:54:43Most of it he took back into his space
3:54:45with him, but about half he left on the
3:54:47bus for Carl and the others.
3:54:50Hawk brought us breakfast meat.
3:54:52Who wants to go up on the roof to go get
3:54:54it?
3:54:55Carl laughed as he realized what had
3:54:57gotten the bird so excited.
3:54:59It wasn't a mouse, but wind speed Hawks
3:55:02love to hunt snakes as well.
3:55:04Brend easily cut off their heads and
3:55:07then they were left with a long tube of
3:55:08food.
3:55:10Sister Betty sighed as she looked upward
3:55:12at the metal roof.
3:55:13That was going to be a slippery trip and
3:55:16the roof was sure to be bloody now with
3:55:17monster awful, which would draw even
3:55:19more monsters to them with its smell.
3:55:22I will.
3:55:24Driver, do you have a sprayer to clean
3:55:26the roof?
3:55:27Monster blood will draw more of them.
3:55:30She asked.
3:55:31Don't worry about it. There is a bit
3:55:33more rain on the way and it will rinse
3:55:35us clean.
3:55:37There are so many dead minor monsters
3:55:39and animals in the area that chances are
3:55:41nothing will notice.
3:55:43I do have a scent-blocking spray, but I
3:55:45don't want to waste it with more rain
3:55:47coming tonight.
3:55:48The driver explained.
3:55:50All right.
3:55:52I will see you in a minute.
3:55:54Not long after the priestess came back
3:55:56in with a large bundle of meat, far more
3:55:58than they would need for just one meal,
3:56:00the skies opened up again and a steady
3:56:03light rain began.
3:56:04Not enough to cause more flooding, but
3:56:07enough that it was quickly rinsing off
3:56:08the bus.
3:56:10Then the wind picked up, which seemed to
3:56:12relieve the driver.
3:56:14The winds will push the storm away and
3:56:16help dry out the ground faster.
3:56:19At worst, we might be stuck for one full
3:56:21day, but no more than that before the
3:56:23ground is dry enough that we can move
3:56:25again.
3:56:26He explained, then tilted his seat back
3:56:28and pulled a blanket from the overhead
3:56:30bin, signaling that he was done with
3:56:32conversation for the night.
3:56:34Bus seats wouldn't be the most
3:56:36comfortable night's rest, but they were
3:56:37dry.
3:56:39So, they split the group into four,
3:56:41giving each of them a 3-hour night watch
3:56:43and everyone did their best to sleep.
3:56:46Carl's seat put him on the last watch of
3:56:48the night, but he knew that Ray was
3:56:50watching what happened around them with
3:56:51keen interest.
3:56:53This spot might not be a bad one, she
3:56:55had decided, once Hawk got a chance to
3:56:57go out hunting.
3:56:59Snakes were a pain as they just
3:57:01slithered through and under the web, but
3:57:03there should be other things to hunt
3:57:04soon and she hadn't been ordered to stay
3:57:07inside.
3:57:08The night was her time and if there was
3:57:10prey foolish enough to approach her den,
3:57:12who was she to say no to their kindness?
3:57:15She got her chance just before Carl's
3:57:17shift started at 4:00 in the morning.
3:57:20A small group of venomfang lizards had
3:57:22swam across the receding floodwaters and
3:57:24were diverted from their path by the
3:57:26presence of warm bodies on the bus.
3:57:28They were each about the size of a
3:57:30domesticated cat and once they hit her
3:57:32web, they would be so completely tangled
3:57:35that they would never get free again.
3:57:37The students on watch were startled and
3:57:39nearly shouted in fear when Ray landed
3:57:41outside the bus, but they quickly
3:57:43recognized her body and that she was
3:57:45weaving a dome of web all around the
3:57:47bus.
3:57:48It almost seemed like she wanted to
3:57:50cocoon it in the strings of spider silk,
3:57:52but once she had a loose net, she
3:57:54settled down under the bus and blended
3:57:56herself into the mud and darkness to
3:57:57wait for her prey.
3:57:59The lizards didn't have great night
3:58:01vision, so they never saw the thin
3:58:03strings of spider web running from the
3:58:04bus to the ground.
3:58:06So, when they ran into it, just as Ray
3:58:09predicted, they panicked and began to
3:58:11flail, tying themselves up even tighter
3:58:13with every movement.
3:58:15Their poison fangs would do them
3:58:17precious little good when they were
3:58:18trapped in the web, and Ray waited until
3:58:20she was certain that she had trapped
3:58:22them all before she darted out in a
3:58:23streak of inky black motion and
3:58:25punctured their skulls to pull them into
3:58:26the beast space with her.
3:58:28Did you see that?
3:58:30One of the students on watch gasped,
3:58:32waking Carl and a few others nearby.
3:58:35No, and that's the part that frightens
3:58:37me.
3:58:39One moment they were in the web, and the
3:58:40next they were just dead and gone.
3:58:43I've never seen anything move that fast.
3:58:46The boy beside him whispered.
3:58:49What's happening outside?
3:58:51Should we wake the others?
3:58:53A newly awoken student asked.
3:58:56No need.
3:58:57Ray, the big spider of Carl's was
3:59:00outside hunting lizard monsters.
3:59:02I think that she's back under the bus
3:59:04now.
3:59:05The boy replied.
3:59:07Carl smiled.
3:59:09They wouldn't understand that the mental
3:59:11space could be accessed from some
3:59:12distance away, so they wouldn't have
3:59:14understood how Ray simply disappeared
3:59:16once she had her loot.
3:59:18From their point of view, it had to be
3:59:20absolutely terrifying to have seen the
3:59:22bloodbath spider launch out to kill her
3:59:24prey then simply vanish.
3:59:26It was impressive, if I do say so
3:59:28myself.
3:59:30I got perfectly blended while I waited,
3:59:32and I doubt that most of the humans
3:59:34could even see me. They just saw the
3:59:36lizards being pulled from the web.
3:59:38The apex predator of the night.
3:59:41Carl agreed.
3:59:42She's definitely making fun of us for
3:59:44not being able to spot her.
3:59:47You can always tell by the look on
3:59:48Carl's face when the beasts are talking
3:59:50to him.
3:59:52One of the students on guard duty
3:59:53whispered.
3:59:55Dana's soft laugh caught the boys'
3:59:56attention.
3:59:58Of course she is laughing at you.
4:00:01She can camouflage herself and it is
4:00:03dark outside.
4:00:05I bet you didn't even notice right away
4:00:06that the lizards were gone.
4:00:09Ray is extremely fast, and in the dark,
4:00:11even I have a hard time spotting her,
4:00:13and I'm fairly used to looking for her.
4:00:16The boys chuckled, thinking that Dana
4:00:18was actually afraid of spiders.
4:00:21It would never cross their minds that
4:00:22the mage and the bloodbath spider both
4:00:24liked sleeping in hammocks on Carl's
4:00:26balcony.
4:00:27Carl wasn't sure how much longer that
4:00:29would be feasible, though.
4:00:32Ray was growing rapidly, and once she
4:00:34got close to 2 m long, it would be hard
4:00:36for her to create a large enough hammock
4:00:38out of her web inside the gazebo.
4:00:41It needed room to swing and attach at
4:00:43either end.
4:00:44Carl could feel the pride in Ray's mind
4:00:46as Dana praised her.
4:00:48But what was more amusing was that half
4:00:50of the students hadn't even realized
4:00:52that there was a spider web built over
4:00:54the bus.
4:00:55They had turned the interior lights off
4:00:57so that they weren't a beacon on the
4:00:58hilltop, and for that reason alone, the
4:01:01very minimal evening light made the
4:01:03strands impossible for most of them to
4:01:04see.
4:01:06But the sky was beginning to lighten in
4:01:08preparation for the impending dawn, and
4:01:10the students would start to notice soon.
4:01:13Hopefully before one of them stepped
4:01:14outside and got entangled in the sticky
4:01:16webbing, but it was tempting to just not
4:01:18say anything and see what happened.
4:01:21Carl took his place by the window of the
4:01:23bus and waited for the sun to come up
4:01:24enough that he could send Hawk out
4:01:26scouting again and check on the
4:01:27floodwater levels.
4:01:29As long as the levels were receding as
4:01:31expected, they could probably start
4:01:33digging the ramp to their makeshift
4:01:35bridge to make up for what the flood had
4:01:37washed away.
4:01:39But there might also be a better way
4:01:40than the first one that Hawk had found.
4:01:43Once the water went down, it would be
4:01:45easier to see what areas were stone or
4:01:47gravel, and therefore more likely to be
4:01:49solid enough to support the bus until
4:01:51they could get back to the high ground.
4:01:54Hawk and Thor were both still asleep,
4:01:56and Ray was just about to doze off when
4:01:58the sun came up, marking the end of the
4:02:00night watches and the beginning of the
4:02:02long wait for the sun to dry out the
4:02:03ground enough that it would be safe to
4:02:05move from the well-based roadway.
4:02:07The last thing anyone wanted was to
4:02:09spend all morning working, then get the
4:02:11bus stuck 5 m from where it was now.
4:02:14Once the sun did come up, the
4:02:16surrounding area of hilltop began to
4:02:18change rapidly, seeming to come alive
4:02:21and bursting with life and color.
4:02:23Plants rapidly grew and absorbed water
4:02:25for later consumption, flowers bloomed
4:02:28in a matter of minutes, and the standing
4:02:30pools of water all but disappeared
4:02:32except down in the river bottom, where
4:02:34it was simply too saturated and most of
4:02:35the plant life was destroyed by the
4:02:37raging waters.
4:02:39But even there, the change was
4:02:41noticeable as the ground was mostly
4:02:43visible now, exposing rubble and debris
4:02:45that had been carried downstream last
4:02:47night.
4:02:48It was a mess down there, and the layer
4:02:50of silt that had built up turned large
4:02:52portions of the area to slowly drying
4:02:54mud plains, from which scattered plant
4:02:56life was struggling to break free.
4:02:59Despite the ferocity of the storm, what
4:03:01hadn't been destroyed was thriving,
4:03:03taking advantage of the situation to get
4:03:05ahead of the competing species.
4:03:08The same was true for the wildlife.
4:03:11Carl could see in the distance that
4:03:12there were numerous small scavengers and
4:03:14rodents out searching for their prize.
4:03:17Many burrows would have flooded or
4:03:18collapsed, and this was a prime
4:03:20opportunity for them to eat something
4:03:22that they couldn't normally hunt.
4:03:24Hawk was thinking the same thing, but he
4:03:26was still a bit sleepy, and the animals
4:03:28would be active all day long.
4:03:31He had time to go hunt when he wanted
4:03:33to.
4:03:34How long do you think that it will take
4:03:35before it's safe to start moving about
4:03:37and preparing to get back in motion?
4:03:40One of the warriors asked the bus
4:03:41driver, who was scanning the horizon
4:03:43with binoculars.
4:03:45Later this afternoon.
4:03:47The ground where we need to go is still
4:03:49saturated, so you won't be able to dig
4:03:51that ramp at all yet.
4:03:53I know you young folk are all energetic
4:03:55to keep moving, but sometimes you just
4:03:57have to sit and wait.
4:03:59He had a point, but while Carl did have
4:04:01to just sit here for a while, he didn't
4:04:03have to idle around and just wait.
4:04:06Hawk, do you want to go scout the area?
4:04:09If you can find us a nice dry route,
4:04:11even if it is a bit further around, that
4:04:13would save time.
4:04:15Also, check for monsters who have moved
4:04:17along our intended path and any new
4:04:19obstacles we might encounter.
4:04:22Carl suggested.
4:04:24That is fine.
4:04:26I could use some time to stretch my
4:04:27wings and just fly.
4:04:30The Hawk agreed.
4:04:31It wasn't a sentiment that the other two
4:04:33beasts shared.
4:04:35Ray liked her web, and Thor preferred to
4:04:37be where everyone else was.
4:04:40The concept of just flying around by
4:04:41himself all day seemed very lonely to
4:04:44the lightning serow.
4:04:46Ray thought that he was a bit of an
4:04:47idiot, constantly wanting to be around
4:04:49others when he could be peacefully
4:04:51alone, but with his energy level, he
4:04:53needed people to play with.
4:04:55Carl looked around at the bored students
4:04:57sitting on the bus.
4:04:59Why don't we send someone out to see how
4:05:01the ground is?
4:05:02I think that everyone could use a little
4:05:04stretch, and the thick grass should have
4:05:06kept the ground stable.
4:05:08Carl suggested.
4:05:10The driver nodded as the students began
4:05:12to get to their feet, taking Carl as the
4:05:14voice of authority here, as long as
4:05:16Sister Betty didn't object.
4:05:18The look that the nun was giving him
4:05:20said that she would like to see Thor
4:05:21again, so as the students went out, Carl
4:05:24sent Thor out to meet them.
4:05:26The ground was a bit springy under his
4:05:28heavy footsteps, but it wasn't muddy,
4:05:30just uncompacted and thickly layered
4:05:32with roots.
4:05:34Last night it had been worse, and there
4:05:36was water squishing up as he walked, so
4:05:38this was an improvement.
4:05:40He was the heaviest of them, and though
4:05:42he was far from comparable to the bus,
4:05:44Thor's rapid growth had brought him to
4:05:45nearly 200 kilos of solid chested serow.
4:05:49If they were back in the pack, he would
4:05:51be treated as one of the most promising
4:05:53youngsters with his healthy build and
4:05:54high energy levels.
4:05:57The group of students spread out around
4:05:58the bus, cutting away the remains of the
4:06:00web that Ray had created last night, and
4:06:02enjoying the way that the morning sun
4:06:04began to heat everything.
4:06:06You could feel the moisture in the air
4:06:08as the sun evaporated it, and watch as
4:06:10the last of the floodwaters receded,
4:06:12leaving new wetlands among the mud
4:06:14plains that were beginning to dry out
4:06:16and crack at the top as their moisture
4:06:17was siphoned away.
4:06:19This side of the hill looks pretty good.
4:06:22The waters washed away the dirt, and
4:06:24it's all shale stone.
4:06:26If that stone layer continues, then we
4:06:28might be able to make a durable road,
4:06:30but it's going to take a lot of work.
4:06:33One of the students announced as he
4:06:34examined the hill down toward the
4:06:36blockage Carl cleared last night.
4:06:39Would you like to examine it more
4:06:40closely?
4:06:42I can toss the chain down the hill to
4:06:44help you get back up in case it's
4:06:45slippery or soft.
4:06:48Carl offered.
4:06:49Sure, I can see that you saved plenty of
4:06:52logs to make a bridge, so we should at
4:06:54least check the condition of the
4:06:55hillside.
4:06:57The boy agreed.
4:06:58Carl thought about it for a moment, and
4:07:00out of everyone here, he was the one who
4:07:02likely knew the most about rocks.
4:07:05Especially the shale stones that were
4:07:07common in the higher levels of the mine.
4:07:10Further down, the mines had been
4:07:12comprised of thick lithium clay and coal
4:07:14veins between granite layers, but the
4:07:16upper levels had a lot of oily shale
4:07:18that had been left as intact as possible
4:07:20because it made the roof unstable if you
4:07:22dug underneath it.
4:07:24Unlike that stuff, this didn't have that
4:07:26thick crude oil smell, but the gray
4:07:28stone was similar both in texture and
4:07:30composition.
4:07:32I will go with you.
4:07:34There's plenty of shale in the mines,
4:07:36and I know far too much about stones.
4:07:39Carl explained with a laugh as he went
4:07:41to recover the hook from where he had
4:07:42left it by the bus last night.
4:07:45Sister Betty opened up the belly box of
4:07:46the bus and pulled out a pickaxe and a
4:07:48shovel.
4:07:50They're part of the recovery tools, so
4:07:52that's what we will have to work with to
4:07:53form the road if you need to.
4:07:56She informed them as Carl and the
4:07:57student caught the tools with
4:07:59comfortable familiarity.
4:08:01And go easy on them.
4:08:03They're just wood.
4:08:05The driver shouted from inside the bus.
4:08:08No problem.
4:08:10We will be gentle.
4:08:12The warrior laughed as he shouldered the
4:08:13shovel, but the driver was right.
4:08:16They were both incredibly strong, and
4:08:18Carl's strength would shatter a pickaxe
4:08:20handle on the first strike, as well as
4:08:22burying the head so far in the ground as
4:08:24to make it a pain to get back out.
4:08:27The hill was a gentle slope for the
4:08:28first few meters, then a steep descent
4:08:31down a stone cliff until they got to the
4:08:33river.
4:08:34They descended the chain, checking the
4:08:36surface as they went.
4:08:38It looks like it's all soft stone all
4:08:40the way down.
4:08:42That is going to make an excellent road
4:08:43base.
4:08:45Carl noted.
4:08:47Yeah, we can cut it away and pile it
4:08:49here at the bottom to make a smooth ramp
4:08:51to the river.
4:08:52If we put the log bridge 5 or 10 m above
4:08:55the water level, it should last a little
4:08:57while before it is washed away again.
4:09:00That sort of rain happens every few
4:09:02years, but not often enough that our
4:09:03improvements won't last the summer.
4:09:06The boy agreed.
4:09:08You're from the area.
4:09:10Carl asked.
4:09:12Yeah, about 50 km that way.
4:09:15He replied, pointing across the river.
4:09:18As Carl remembered the map, there was no
4:09:20road from here to there, and it was in
4:09:22the wrong direction to get to the
4:09:24academy, but the weather would be
4:09:25similar enough that he wouldn't be wrong
4:09:27about the frequency of such storms.
4:09:30In fact, it had likely gotten hit by
4:09:32this very storm late last night.
4:09:35They walked the few meters across the
4:09:36logs to the river crossing, as the other
4:09:38boy needed to be closer to see that the
4:09:40far bank was made of the same shale as
4:09:42this one.
4:09:44It was also a more shallow angle, as
4:09:46there hadn't been much dirt for the
4:09:47water to wash away.
4:09:49Carl examined the situation with
4:09:51satisfaction.
4:09:53All right, if we cut away this side and
4:09:56clear that side, we only have a short
4:09:58dig to get to solid stone.
4:10:00Then we will break the stone here to
4:10:02make a better ramp angle and run it out
4:10:04as far as we need to make the logs
4:10:06reach.
4:10:07Carl informed his teammate, who smiled
4:10:10back and nodded.
4:10:11Then, let's get started.
4:10:14Has Hawk verified that this is a good
4:10:16route to get back to the academy?
4:10:18The route mentioned last night sounded
4:10:20decent.
4:10:21The warrior asked.
4:10:23Carl nodded.
4:10:25Yeah, this is the route.
4:10:28He will check the next bridge, but it
4:10:29looked good last night, and it's all
4:10:31high ground until our route comes back
4:10:33and meets up with the existing road.
4:10:36We will be making a big loop where the
4:10:38road was nearly straight before, but it
4:10:40should all be drivable, even if I need
4:10:42to hook Thor to the recovery points on
4:10:44the bus and have him help pull.
4:10:46The lightning sero thought that was an
4:10:48incredible idea.
4:10:50The wide bus wheels didn't seem as
4:10:51reliable as his own feet, but between
4:10:53them, they should be able to pull the
4:10:55load of students across the grass.
4:10:58In a way, he was exactly right.
4:11:01The extra pulling force would help keep
4:11:03the wheels from spinning in low traction
4:11:05areas and make it much easier to get
4:11:07where they were going.
4:11:09It looks like it's all shale underneath
4:11:10the surface.
4:11:12If we cut the top layer away, we can
4:11:14make a nice ramp to the bridge.
4:11:17Carl called up to the others.
4:11:19Hawk left his space and took off into
4:11:21the sky to survey their intended path,
4:11:24now that Carl seemed certain that this
4:11:25way would bring them across the river.
4:11:28Well, the remains of the blockage are a
4:11:30good height above the water now, so
4:11:32should we set a temporary bridge?
4:11:35One of the students suggested.
4:11:37Not yet.
4:11:39We want it to be further from the water
4:11:40so that it doesn't wash away in the next
4:11:42rain.
4:11:43How many pickaxes and shovels do we
4:11:45have?
4:11:47Carl called back.
4:11:49There's a whole bundle of each.
4:11:51I think that they were prepared for all
4:11:53the passengers on a trip to help out.
4:11:56Sister Betty called back.
4:11:58Sister Betty, you lovely, gentle, and
4:12:00kind soul.
4:12:02Do you suppose that you could enchant
4:12:04these tools for us to help keep them
4:12:05from breaking when we work at full
4:12:07strength?
4:12:08Carl asked with his best pleading voice,
4:12:10which had sometimes worked on the
4:12:12teachers at school.
4:12:14The muscular cleric laughed and rolled
4:12:16her eyes.
4:12:17Of course, I will.
4:12:19Divine tool is one of the spells I am
4:12:21best with, and as I'm stronger than any
4:12:23of you with magic, you shouldn't be able
4:12:25to break the enchantment while digging.
4:12:28She replied.
4:12:30The warrior began climbing the wire back
4:12:32up to the top, but Carl just took two
4:12:34running steps down the log and launched
4:12:36himself up the 5 m to the point where he
4:12:38could walk safely.
4:12:40That is so cheating.
4:12:42Do you want a pick or a shovel?
4:12:44They will both cut through stone once I
4:12:46enhance them.
4:12:48The cleric asked as Carl made it back to
4:12:50her.
4:12:51I will keep the pick.
4:12:53Now, we just need to map out the route
4:12:55so everyone knows where they're working
4:12:57toward.
4:12:58Carl explained.
4:13:00Hawk circled back and sent a pair of
4:13:02shred attacks into the grass, leaving
4:13:05deep furrows in a straight line to the
4:13:07crossing.
4:13:08That works, too.
4:13:10Turn that into a smooth slope, ending at
4:13:12least 5 m above the water level as it is
4:13:15now, and it should be good.
4:13:18I think the water is still higher than
4:13:19normal thanks to the storm, so it should
4:13:22be enough for the bridge to survive a
4:13:23while.
4:13:25Sister Betty out the two bundles of
4:13:26tools and activated her spell, which
4:13:29made them glow with the same holy light
4:13:31as the guards' weapons during the battle
4:13:32at the railroad.
4:13:34Carl moved near the edge of the cliff
4:13:36and swung the pick, shattering the stone
4:13:38and tossing it down the hill.
4:13:40That's too easy.
4:13:42I should take one of the larger shovels.
4:13:45He called back to the group, who smiled
4:13:47in impending victory.
4:13:49Unfortunately for them, they didn't all
4:13:51have Carl's strength, so while he dug
4:13:53out large amounts of stone and the
4:13:55ground shook with every hit, most of the
4:13:57warriors didn't move much more than a
4:13:59shovelful.
4:14:01They tossed it with ease like loose
4:14:02cotton, but Carl's strength was making
4:14:05short work of the job while the others
4:14:06stood beside him.
4:14:08Wait, I have an idea.
4:14:11I know another spell called impact.
4:14:14It sends vibrations through things, and
4:14:16I use it to knock targets over.
4:14:19If I use it on Carl's shovel, he can
4:14:21turn the whole slope to gravel.
4:14:23Sister Betty offered.
4:14:26All right, everyone, please step back.
4:14:29I will see how well this works.
4:14:32Carl agreed.
4:14:33The cleric added the spell, and Carl
4:14:36felt the possibility in the shovel as he
4:14:38hefted it.
4:14:39The vibration was directional and
4:14:41proportionate to force.
4:14:43So, when he focused and put all his
4:14:45strength behind the hit, it should break
4:14:47up a large area at once.
4:14:50Carl stepped halfway through their
4:14:51intended path and carefully angled his
4:14:54strike.
4:14:55The shock wave carried through the
4:14:57stone, and the hillside slid away,
4:14:59turning to gravel and piling up at the
4:15:01foot of the cliff.
4:15:03In a single strike, they were half done
4:15:05the work of creating their route.
4:15:07There was just one problem.
4:15:09To create the slope they wanted, they
4:15:11would have to create far too much broken
4:15:13rock.
4:15:15The bus wasn't some extreme adventure
4:15:17vehicle, despite its wide and
4:15:18thick-threaded tires.
4:15:21Steep angles didn't work for it, and
4:15:23Carl's second strike created a large
4:15:25amount of gravel with nowhere to go.
4:15:27Well, now we just need to move this
4:15:29gravel to the far side of the pile and
4:15:31finish the ramp.
4:15:33It should be a decent slope when we're
4:15:35finished.
4:15:36He informed the group.
4:15:38Well, Carl and Betty did the worst of
4:15:40the work. Now, it's our turn.
4:15:43One of the mages laughed.
4:15:45A large gray golem formed out of the
4:15:47loose stone, then scooped up an armload
4:15:49of rocks like it was a backhoe.
4:15:51Gravel golems aren't the strongest in
4:15:53combat, but they can change shapes a
4:15:56little like the sand golems.
4:15:58It's limited, but flattening the arms
4:16:00into a bucket is no problem.
4:16:03Since it's all gravel, I just need to
4:16:05add more magic, and he can move all of
4:16:07this.
4:16:08If it were dirt or mud, it would be much
4:16:10harder, since it's not the golem's
4:16:12element.
4:16:13She explained.
4:16:15The golem scraped a path through the
4:16:17crushed shale rock and pushed it off the
4:16:19far end, giving the warriors the right
4:16:21idea.
4:16:22They moved up with shovels and piled the
4:16:24gravel in the middle of the 4-m wide
4:16:26path for the golem to move to the river.
4:16:29They finished with a steep slope that
4:16:31ended 4 m above the river when the
4:16:33gravel was gone, but they had a smooth
4:16:35slope to that point.
4:16:37Now, we just need to cross the river and
4:16:39build up a bridge footing on the far
4:16:40side.
4:16:42Sister Betty reminded them.
4:16:44Carl jogged down the slope and jumped.
4:16:47The flying leap put him on the far side
4:16:49of the river with ease from his elevated
4:16:51start, but the bank here was much more
4:16:53shallow, so they would have to build
4:16:55something up and not just pile loose
4:16:56rock.
4:16:58As he was considering it, Carl heard
4:17:00laughter from the far bank.
4:17:02You lot are fast workers, but not
4:17:04exactly the core of engineers, are you?
4:17:07The driver asked.
4:17:09What do you mean?
4:17:11It's sturdy. We shook the rock to settle
4:17:13it, and it's not going anywhere.
4:17:16Carl shouted back.
4:17:18Have you ever seen the spout of a jug
4:17:20when you tilt it?
4:17:21That's what you created here.
4:17:23As soon as it starts raining, the water
4:17:26is going to pour down that ramp you cut
4:17:27into the hillside in a glorious
4:17:29waterfall.
4:17:31He laughed.
4:17:32Sister Betty began to giggle.
4:17:35I see the problem now.
4:17:37All right, we need to cut ditches on
4:17:39both sides of this ramp so that the
4:17:41water has somewhere to flow that isn't
4:17:42the road itself.
4:17:44If we are going to leave this here for
4:17:46others, they should at least be able to
4:17:48use it.
4:17:49She got the others back to work, digging
4:17:51through the stone to make deeper spots
4:17:53at the edge of the ramp and sloped sides
4:17:55so that they didn't collapse on the
4:17:57road.
4:17:58While they did that, Carl looked around
4:18:00for his options.
4:18:02He had plenty of logs on this side as
4:18:04well, and that gave him the idea.
4:18:06Thor, come here and work.
4:18:09I want you to toss a bunch of logs from
4:18:11this shore toward the bank directly
4:18:13opposite the ramp.
4:18:14Then I will dig a pit in the hill for
4:18:16material and fill the gaps with stone.
4:18:20Once it's high enough, we will make a
4:18:21bridge deck.
4:18:23The happy serow came vanished into his
4:18:25space, then came back out with a happy
4:18:27trot, and immediately ran over to push a
4:18:29broken log toward the jam with his two
4:18:31upper horns.
4:18:33A flick of his head tossed the broken
4:18:35log on top of the pile, though it
4:18:37strained his prodigious strength.
4:18:39I will get you the chain so you can pull
4:18:41them.
4:18:42Carl laughed as he realized that his
4:18:44plan underestimated the weight of a full
4:18:46tree.
4:18:48Thor shook his head and went for smaller
4:18:50logs that had been shattered before
4:18:52their arrival.
4:18:53They would make good filler, Carl
4:18:55thought, and picked out a spot to begin
4:18:57digging gravel to throw into the pile.
4:19:00The two of them worked well together,
4:19:02and after a while, even Ray came out to
4:19:04lend a hand in her own way.
4:19:07She made a silk harness for Thor, and
4:19:09then attached the logs to it with thick
4:19:11ropes of spider silk.
4:19:13The initial effort was exhausting for
4:19:15her, but once it was done, she just cut
4:19:17the rope and then sprayed spit on the
4:19:19end, which caused it to liquefy and mend
4:19:22around the next log.
4:19:24Within the reach of the bloodbath
4:19:25spider, its web was a versatile magical
4:19:27tool, not just sticky silk.
4:19:30That let Thor move some longer trees
4:19:32into position, accelerating the process
4:19:35as Carl threw gravel at it from a spot
4:19:37upstream.
4:19:38It took them under an hour to have the
4:19:40ramp sorted out, and then it was time to
4:19:42work on the bridge deck.
4:19:44Sister Betty clapped her hands to get
4:19:46the attention of the others as they
4:19:47finished making what she thought was a
4:19:49sturdy enough footing for the bridge.
4:19:52I have picked out four trees, all of
4:19:54them long enough to cross the river.
4:19:56Now, you need to do the hard work,
4:19:59gentlemen.
4:20:00Plane off the top third of each log so
4:20:02we can place them to create a flat
4:20:04driving surface, and then we have to
4:20:06drag them into position.
4:20:08Got it, sister.
4:20:10We're ready.
4:20:11The warriors called back, sweating with
4:20:13the exertion of digging ditches and
4:20:15reinforcing the gravel slope as much as
4:20:17possible for the last hour.
4:20:19With the chain and hook, they dragged
4:20:21the four chosen logs up the hill, where
4:20:23the warriors got to work planing the
4:20:25logs to roughly the same thickness with
4:20:27their shovels.
4:20:29It wasn't the most precise use of tools
4:20:31ever, but the logs split well enough
4:20:33when the enchanted tools hit them, and
4:20:35Sister Betty had managed to pick out
4:20:36four that were long enough to span the
4:20:38gap between the two hills without the
4:20:40need for any fancy joinery or a brace in
4:20:42the middle.
4:20:44They were well over a meter around,
4:20:45which the driver assured them would be
4:20:47enough to drive the bus over as long as
4:20:49he was careful not to give them too much
4:20:51of a jolt.
4:20:53But he had plenty of practice at that,
4:20:55since not everywhere that he had to go
4:20:56to recover teams was on a proper and
4:20:58improved road.
4:21:00Carl worked to get the far bank ready as
4:21:02they worked, creating a ramp out of a
4:21:04spare log to roll the bridge deck into
4:21:06place.
4:21:07The plan was simple.
4:21:09Once they finished working the logs,
4:21:11they would attach a chain to either end
4:21:13and toss the other end to Carl, who
4:21:15would pull the log across the river and
4:21:17let it float to the foot of the road.
4:21:20Then, with Thor on his side and the
4:21:22warriors on the other, they would pull
4:21:23the log up and into place.
4:21:26Repeat that with all four logs and it
4:21:28would be done.
4:21:29In theory, it was simple and they could
4:21:31have it done in an hour or two.
4:21:34Ready for the fun part?
4:21:36Dana called once the warriors had the
4:21:38first log chained up and ready to move.
4:21:41Toss it over and we will see if the plan
4:21:43is good.
4:21:45Just remember, send it a bit upstream so
4:21:47that we don't have to drag it against
4:21:48the current.
4:21:50Carl called back.
4:21:52The chain came sailing over to his side
4:21:54of the river, and Carl pulled it tight
4:21:56with the eager help of Thor.
4:21:59The log slid smoothly into the river,
4:22:01and the two of them moved a bit further
4:22:03upstream, keeping it on course until
4:22:05they had their end on the shore, and
4:22:06they were ready to pull it up their
4:22:08makeshift ramp.
4:22:09All right, shift positions and we will
4:22:12pull together.
4:22:14We have to keep it squared up between
4:22:15the two sides or it will fall back into
4:22:17the river.
4:22:19Carl called as he prepared to shift the
4:22:21log up the freshly created hill.
4:22:24Got it.
4:22:25We will adjust to match your side, just
4:22:27keep it nice and smooth.
4:22:29Dana called back.
4:22:31The warriors had nominated her to be the
4:22:33spokesperson for the team, since her
4:22:35golems were the strongest and would be
4:22:37doing the majority of the work.
4:22:39The two sides moved and the chains
4:22:41pulled tight again, moving the heavy log
4:22:43into place, then dragging it across the
4:22:45footing that they had designed into the
4:22:47gravel ramps.
4:22:49The log was about 4 m longer than
4:22:51necessary, but with a bit of adjustment
4:22:53and some digging, they had it in place
4:22:55and they were ready to do the second
4:22:57one.
4:22:58This one will be easier.
4:23:00We can just take a short chain and pull
4:23:02it across the other log.
4:23:04I recommend the golems do it in case
4:23:06something goes wrong and they fall in
4:23:08the river.
4:23:10Carl suggested.
4:23:12That should be fine.
4:23:14With my two and then the gravel golem,
4:23:16we should have plenty of power to get
4:23:18the log moved.
4:23:20We measured them all when they were
4:23:21here, so they're all the same length.
4:23:24Is the other side ready for it?
4:23:26Dana replied.
4:23:28It will be before they get here.
4:23:31The three golems easily dragged the log
4:23:33over and dropped it in place, then
4:23:35assisted Carl in getting it rotated with
4:23:37the flat side up and level with the
4:23:38other log.
4:23:40Now, they had a foot bridge 2 m wide,
4:23:43and the third and fourth logs went into
4:23:45place with ease.
4:23:47All that was left was to bury the ends
4:23:49and drive a few posts into the road base
4:23:51at either end so that they didn't shift
4:23:52apart when the bus drove across it.
4:23:55They didn't have any spare rope, nails,
4:23:57or anything else to fasten them, but
4:23:59with the flat of the shovel, Carl had
4:24:01plenty of strength to hammer a fence
4:24:03post-sized log into the ground on either
4:24:05side of the bridge deck.
4:24:07That would have to be enough to hold
4:24:09them, at least until a crew with more
4:24:10equipment could come and make a better
4:24:12bridge or fix the main road.
4:24:15The driver walked down to admire the
4:24:17handiwork once Carl was finished the
4:24:19process and whistled in appreciation.
4:24:22You know, for such an amateur endeavor,
4:24:24you lot actually built one of the better
4:24:26field bridges I have ever seen.
4:24:29Just the fact that you had the strength
4:24:30to move those huge logs instead of using
4:24:33smaller trees makes all the difference.
4:24:36He informed them with a pleased smile.
4:24:39Well, Hawk and Thor say that the ground
4:24:41on the other side is pretty good. How
4:24:43does it look up there?
4:24:44Can we start moving the bus?
4:24:47Carl asked.
4:24:49Yeah, we can.
4:24:50I will ask that all the students take
4:24:52their bags and cross first, then I will
4:24:54drive the bus across with the tow cable
4:24:56attached to the front.
4:24:58Even if the bridge collapses, Thor and
4:25:00the golems should have the strength to
4:25:02pull the bus back to shore, and we might
4:25:04be able to drive home.
4:25:06The driver explained.
4:25:08Good enough for me.
4:25:10The gravel golem says the base is sturdy
4:25:13and I'm choosing to trust its expertise.
4:25:16We will see you on the other side.
4:25:18Then, we will hook Thor to the tow cable
4:25:21and he will walk in front of the bus
4:25:22until we're back on a proper road bed.
4:25:25That will give you warning if the ground
4:25:27is soft and he can give you some extra
4:25:29forward motion when needed.
4:25:31It would also help tire out the serow a
4:25:33bit more.
4:25:34He didn't get outside nearly enough and
4:25:37the beast space was refreshing.
4:25:39So, even if he played with the bashing
4:25:41pillar in there, he didn't really get
4:25:43tired.
4:25:44Keeping Thor exhausted from play was
4:25:46good for his development, or so Thor
4:25:48insisted.
4:25:50His logic was that you had to work
4:25:51muscles constantly to make them grow big
4:25:53and strong.
4:25:55Now, that sort of logic also held true
4:25:57for humans, but with the serum, they
4:25:59were all growing big and strong without
4:26:01the extra help, so it likely wouldn't
4:26:03stop Thor from growing if he didn't put
4:26:05in the work.
4:26:07Hawk, on the other hand, believed that
4:26:09you just needed to stay active to avoid
4:26:11being lazy, and Ray maintained that just
4:26:13waiting in your web for prey to play
4:26:14with was better than wearing yourself
4:26:16out for no good reason.
4:26:18So, Hawk floated in the sky overhead,
4:26:21Thor got ready to pull the bus around
4:26:22all day, and Ray cut up pieces of the
4:26:25lizards that she had caught in her web
4:26:26last night to see if she could find out
4:26:28how they managed to inject venom into
4:26:30things without making everything they
4:26:32ate taste like poison.
4:26:34For purely scientific reasons, of
4:26:36course.
4:26:38Carl went back to the bus and grabbed
4:26:40his gear to rejoin Thor on the far side
4:26:42of the river where the other students
4:26:43were waiting, and the driver began to
4:26:45make his way down the rocky slope.
4:26:48The ground was still a bit soft beneath
4:26:50his tires as the bus made its way over,
4:26:52but the thick mat of roots was enough
4:26:54that the bus wasn't going to get bogged
4:26:55down, and the rocky decline provided
4:26:57ample traction, though it couldn't be
4:26:59good for the tires.
4:27:01The driver stopped when he reached the
4:27:03bridge and the recovery cable was run
4:27:05out to be held by Dana's golems and
4:27:07Thor.
4:27:08He carefully moved forward, but the
4:27:10sturdy tree trunks didn't budge at all
4:27:12as the bus rolled onto them.
4:27:14There was a slight flex as the back end
4:27:16reached the middle, but Carl thought he
4:27:18might be the only one who could see well
4:27:20enough to tell.
4:27:22It was no threat to the bridge's
4:27:23integrity, and the driver had no problem
4:27:25making it back up out of the river
4:27:27valley to the high ground to reload the
4:27:28students and begin their trip back to
4:27:30the road.
4:27:32That's the hard part done.
4:27:34Everyone, please get back on the bus and
4:27:36settle your luggage. I will be ready to
4:27:38go in 5 minutes.
4:27:40The driver instructed once he was parked
4:27:42on level ground again.
4:27:44Is having Thor out front going to slow
4:27:45you down?
4:27:47I know the lightning serow isn't
4:27:49renowned for their walking speed.
4:27:51Carl asked.
4:27:53We don't want to be going at a high
4:27:54speed anyhow.
4:27:56With a bus full of people, even 5 or 10
4:27:59km an hour is enough that it will be a
4:28:01rough ride in here over the open fields.
4:28:04We should be just fine with him as our
4:28:06guide.
4:28:07The driver assured Carl with a thumbs up
4:28:09for Thor, who had the chain from the tow
4:28:11cable looped around his chest and in
4:28:13front of his legs like the walking
4:28:15harnesses that people put on small dogs.
4:28:18Carl took a seat near the front so he
4:28:20could communicate with Thor, and the
4:28:21small procession began its crawl across
4:28:23the fields with Dana's two golems
4:28:26flanking the bus to help keep away stray
4:28:27monsters.
4:28:29Hawk keened out a relieved cry as they
4:28:31were finally moving again.
4:28:33He had circled from the bus to the
4:28:35bridge four times already and checked
4:28:37for every sign of soft dirt that he
4:28:39knew.
4:28:40There were some signs that the rodent
4:28:42tunnels had flooded in some areas, and
4:28:44he was ready to lead them around those
4:28:46spots, but they would be on top of the
4:28:47ridge the whole way to the second
4:28:49bridge.
4:28:50Thor happily trotted along the route
4:28:52that Hawk was giving him, avoiding the
4:28:54puddles, likely soft spots, and anywhere
4:28:56else that the Hawk thought looked
4:28:58sketchy.
4:28:59But the serow leading a bus was
4:29:01gathering a fair bit of attention from
4:29:03the residents of the grasslands they
4:29:04were passing by.
4:29:06Most of it came from the
4:29:07semi-domesticated buffalo beasts, which
4:29:09were a primary source of monster meat
4:29:11for the elites and raised by the
4:29:13ranchers in the area, while the rest
4:29:15came from the small animals who felt the
4:29:16vibrations in the ground from the odd
4:29:18combination.
4:29:20Their first thought was that the serow
4:29:21had stolen a bus.
4:29:23They were pack animals and left alone.
4:29:26As the other monsters thought this one
4:29:28had been after the flood, they would try
4:29:29to return to their pack as soon as
4:29:31possible.
4:29:33The bus was large and shiny, just like
4:29:35his scales, so the local wildlife
4:29:37thought at first that the lightning
4:29:38serow had just adopted the mechanical
4:29:40contraption as part of its new pack.
4:29:43Then they noticed that it was full of
4:29:45people who felt like power.
4:29:47The serow wasn't alone and vulnerable.
4:29:49It had taken a pack of magic-using
4:29:51humans, and it was leading them across
4:29:53the hills.
4:29:55They were carefully making their way
4:29:56around a wetland area where long reeds
4:29:58grew up out of the mud when Hawk
4:30:00suddenly dove into the long grasses and
4:30:02came back up with something long in its
4:30:04claws.
4:30:06Ha, I got another one.
4:30:08Oh, this is going to be so tasty.
4:30:11He cheered as he contemplated the snake
4:30:13caught in his claws.
4:30:15To a normal wind speed Hawk, this was
4:30:17not a target it could hunt. The snake
4:30:19was much too large.
4:30:22But at his current size, the 3-m long
4:30:24python was no match for him.
4:30:27It had an ability to harden its scales
4:30:29as armor, but it was still a common
4:30:30grade monster and no match for Ren at
4:30:33the level that Hawk could use it.
4:30:35Toss it in the space for later.
4:30:38No playing with your food when you're
4:30:39scouting.
4:30:41Carl reprimanded his partner.
4:30:43Fine, fine.
4:30:45But I'm not stopping.
4:30:47Hawk pouted before decapitating the
4:30:50beast and throwing the body at the bus,
4:30:52where it vanished a few meters from the
4:30:53window, pulled into the beast space.
4:30:56Care to explain what that was all about?
4:30:59Dana asked carefully as she watched Carl
4:31:01staring out the window before Hawk threw
4:31:03a snake at him.
4:31:05Hawk is pouting because I told him not
4:31:07to play with his food.
4:31:09Carl replied.
4:31:11Dana smiled and shook her head.
4:31:13Is this his teenage rebellious phase?
4:31:16The other students hid their smiles at
4:31:18the thought.
4:31:20Hawk had always been an independent sort
4:31:22of beast, but they had never thought of
4:31:23it as a teenager rebelling against its
4:31:25parents' control.
4:31:27Hawk was back to patrolling the area to
4:31:29keep the bus from getting bogged down,
4:31:31and though there were some soft spots
4:31:33where Thor was definitely helping pull
4:31:34them through, they hadn't had to stop
4:31:36once yet, and the map said that they
4:31:38should be getting close to the road.
4:31:41There are enemies on the horizon.
4:31:43Hawk warned them just after lunch.
4:31:46Hawk says there is danger on the
4:31:47horizon.
4:31:49It's still too far for even his eyes to
4:31:51make out the small details, but I trust
4:31:53his judgment.
4:31:55Carl informed the bus.
4:31:57He leaned out the window to see what the
4:31:59Hawk had found, and the sight of large
4:32:01wings in AV formation caught his
4:32:03attention.
4:32:05It looked like drakes again, and they
4:32:06were a little closer now, enough that he
4:32:09could see the riders on their backs.
4:32:11They weren't heading for the bus. They
4:32:13were flying toward the holy relic in the
4:32:15region where his group had been
4:32:16gathering that day.
4:32:18He pulled out the academy-issued phone
4:32:20and checked the list of emergency
4:32:22numbers, then recalled that he already
4:32:24knew the one that he wanted.
4:32:26He dialed 777 and waited for it to ring
4:32:29through.
4:32:30Speak.
4:32:32The voice informed him.
4:32:34This is Awaken Carl, 95988.
4:32:38Full flight of drake riders spotted
4:32:40headed toward the newest holy relic from
4:32:42the south.
4:32:43The distance is roughly 60 km.
4:32:46Carl replied.
4:32:48Understood.
4:32:50Then the line went dead, and Carl put
4:32:52the phone back in his pocket, satisfied
4:32:55that he had done his duty.
4:32:57So, do you think that they're drawn to
4:32:58the location by the dragon magic?
4:33:01One of the mages asked.
4:33:03That's my thought.
4:33:05At first, I thought that they were after
4:33:07the clerics, but this time they're
4:33:09headed the same way, so it has to be the
4:33:11lingering energy in the area that they
4:33:13have noticed.
4:33:14It might not be safe to go gathering
4:33:16there again for a few months, but we can
4:33:18always go look for another spot.
4:33:21With the gains that we got this time and
4:33:23our lucky charm amulets, we might be
4:33:25able to find another good patch of
4:33:27resources before these run out.
4:33:29Carl suggested.
4:33:31The other students smirked at the
4:33:33reference.
4:33:34They had gotten so much this time that
4:33:36they wouldn't run out for quite a while,
4:33:38and some of the resources, like the holy
4:33:40stones, would last the mages for their
4:33:42whole training and beyond.
4:33:45But that only made them want to go out
4:33:46again once their strength had improved
4:33:48so they could come a little closer to
4:33:50keeping up with the leaders of the
4:33:51class.
4:33:53An hour after the drakes were gone from
4:33:55sight, Thor pulled them up onto a gravel
4:33:57roadway, and Carl called him to a stop.
4:34:00The bus was back on the road now, and
4:34:02they could make better time, so it was
4:34:04the end of his guide duty for now.
4:34:07He had gotten a solid workout with the
4:34:09intermittent need to pull the bus
4:34:10through the soft spots, and Thor was
4:34:12happy to return to the beast space as
4:34:14Carl packed up the chain into the bus
4:34:16belly boxes and Hawk landed on the roof
4:34:18to survey from a perch for a while.
4:34:21The bridge should be less than a
4:34:22kilometer ahead.
4:34:24We will stop when we get there and
4:34:25inspect the footings to make sure it is
4:34:27in good condition, and then we will be
4:34:29on the home stretch to the academy.
4:34:32The driver explained once Carl was back
4:34:34in the bus and Thor was snoring away in
4:34:36his holy stone-lined pond.
4:34:38It looks good.
4:34:40I searched over and under it, and it
4:34:42doesn't look broken.
4:34:44Hawk informed Carl in a distracted voice
4:34:46as he considered whether to fly over and
4:34:48eat one of the earth mice for
4:34:49nostalgia's sake.
4:34:51He had gotten his fill of snake before
4:34:53throwing it into storage, so he wasn't
4:34:55actually hungry, but they were mice.
4:34:58If the mice had known what he was
4:35:00thinking, they would have been
4:35:01terrified.
4:35:03But their eyesight wasn't good enough to
4:35:04notice that he was sitting on top of the
4:35:06bus, whose vibration was hiding any
4:35:08presence that the wind speed Hawk might
4:35:10have given off.
4:35:12The drive to the bridge was remarkably
4:35:14smooth compared to bumping over the
4:35:15tufts of grass in the grasslands, which
4:35:17had been irregularly packed by the
4:35:19buffalo.
4:35:20Ah, the good life.
4:35:23I will never insult the quality of the
4:35:24gravel roads again.
4:35:27One of the warriors laughed as they
4:35:28drove up the bridge.
4:35:30The driver looked up in the
4:35:31passenger-facing mirror over his head.
4:35:34It's all about life experience.
4:35:37The fields saved us days of waiting or
4:35:39working, and now we're almost at the
4:35:41bridge.
4:35:42I will need to check it out quickly
4:35:44before we go to make certain that there
4:35:46was no damage, but that's the last river
4:35:48crossing before the academy.
4:35:51The driver pulled the bus to the side of
4:35:52the road, but Carl didn't see any sign
4:35:55of other traffic anywhere and hadn't
4:35:57seen any all day long.
4:35:59If this road was regularly traveled, the
4:36:01traffic wasn't out today.
4:36:04Most likely it was used by the farmers
4:36:06and trucks going to the villages in the
4:36:07area, but with the floods, everyone else
4:36:10would be stuck and waiting for road
4:36:11repairs.
4:36:13The driver's inspection only took a few
4:36:15minutes as he walked the length of the
4:36:16bridge and looked over the sides with a
4:36:18mirror on a stick.
4:36:20Hawk is right. There is no damage, and
4:36:22the water didn't cut away the base under
4:36:24the concrete.
4:36:26We are good to go.
4:36:28He announced as he returned.
4:36:30Hawk gave a self-satisfied noise as if
4:36:33questioning why anyone doubted him to
4:36:35begin with and settled down on the cargo
4:36:37railing he had chosen as his perch atop
4:36:39the bus.
4:36:40Once they were across, it was like the
4:36:42storm had never happened.
4:36:45The roads were bare and dry with no
4:36:47signs of washed-out shoulders and an
4:36:49increased amount of wildlife.
4:36:52None that dared to approach the bus, but
4:36:54every few minutes Hawk would spot
4:36:56something and relay it to Carl.
4:36:58And this is the last corner before the
4:37:00academy.
4:37:02Might as well start getting your gear
4:37:03ready and packing up the dishes.
4:37:06We will be there in 10 minutes.
4:37:08The driver reminded them an hour after
4:37:10they passed the bridge.
4:37:12The students groaned as they realized
4:37:14that it was their duty to clean up after
4:37:16themselves again, but Sister Betty had
4:37:18already started packing away the
4:37:19leftovers and had packed the rice and
4:37:21beans into their usual squares, then
4:37:24fried them in the pan until they would
4:37:25hold their shape.
4:37:27Who she planned to feed them to was a
4:37:28mystery, but she had the traditional
4:37:30snacks already should she happen to meet
4:37:32a horse here at the academy.
4:37:35It has been a pleasure traveling with
4:37:36you all.
4:37:38Good luck on your next mission, and
4:37:39don't forget about my brothers and
4:37:41sisters at the Seminary Academy.
4:37:43Sister Betty informed them as the bus
4:37:45rolled through the gates.
4:37:47Best of luck on your mission and may the
4:37:49fates favor you with all the resources
4:37:51that you need.
4:37:53Carl replied.
4:37:55The group were in high spirits when the
4:37:57bus parked in the front lot and the
4:37:58professors came out to meet them and see
4:38:00how their mission had gone.
4:38:02Team leaders, how were the results?
4:38:05Not the confidential portion, but the
4:38:07advancement resources.
4:38:09Colonel Valerie asked as Carl and Dana
4:38:12stepped off the bus.
4:38:14We ended up with some improved alternate
4:38:15resources thanks to Hawk's keen senses.
4:38:19We've got our entire packs loaded full
4:38:21and I've got some plants in my beast
4:38:23space for the witches to make potions
4:38:25from.
4:38:26Can we get a wheelbarrow or a cart or
4:38:28something?
4:38:30There is a lot.
4:38:31Carl replied.
4:38:33Dana nodded her agreement and opened the
4:38:35top of her pack to show the colonel the
4:38:37amount of loot stuffed inside.
4:38:40Did the others do this well?
4:38:42Sergeant Rita asked as she saw the
4:38:44densely packed resources.
4:38:46We split things evenly based on what
4:38:49everyone needed.
4:38:50The warriors and mages have different
4:38:52loot, but all of our packs are full and
4:38:54we all have some of the aloe plant
4:38:56numbing and healing gel.
4:38:58Carl explained.
4:39:00You really did have good luck
4:39:02considering that you also got a present
4:39:04from the church for helping their
4:39:05students.
4:39:06The sergeant replied with a warm smile
4:39:08that startled the students who didn't
4:39:10know her.
4:39:11It was rare to see teachers that
4:39:13honestly happy, especially when they
4:39:15hadn't been part of what had happened.
4:39:17The colonel pulled Carl and Dana aside
4:39:20to make a proper report and the
4:39:21professors in charge of the other
4:39:23students took them in to get their
4:39:24version of events or as much as they
4:39:26could tell.
4:39:27They all knew that something had
4:39:29happened involving the church and they
4:39:31wouldn't ask too deeply or risk getting
4:39:33their students in trouble, but they
4:39:34still wanted details on how they ended
4:39:36up with 10 loaded backpacks after
4:39:38leaving to look for a handful of rare
4:39:40plants.
4:39:41Oh, before we go, the stuff for the
4:39:43witches.
4:39:45I will leave it on the ground here.
4:39:47Carl announced.
4:39:49The girls cheered as Carl unloaded the
4:39:51large fern plants and the teachers
4:39:53stared at them.
4:39:55Did you clear an entire glade of them or
4:39:56something?
4:39:58One of the professors asked.
4:40:00Nope, we took about every fourth one and
4:40:03only the smaller ones whose stems fit in
4:40:05the jars.
4:40:06There is way more of it still growing
4:40:08and we cut these off well above the
4:40:10ground, so they should grow back without
4:40:12too many issues.
4:40:14Sustainable harvesting as the clerics
4:40:16called it.
4:40:18We did the same with everything else.
4:40:20There is more where this came from for
4:40:22everything that we brought back.
4:40:24One of the witches proudly announced.
4:40:27It's like you've got the world dragon's
4:40:29own luck.
4:40:30The teacher sighed then glared around
4:40:32the parking lot as the students began to
4:40:34laugh.
4:40:36The closest student held up her hands in
4:40:38surrender.
4:40:39They're not laughing at you, professor.
4:40:42You see, our reward from the church was
4:40:44a dragon scale amulet, the good luck
4:40:46charm.
4:40:48Then they gave us a skill book of our
4:40:50choice, but random choice as they gave
4:40:52us books with no names on them.
4:40:55It worked out perfectly though and we
4:40:57all learned a new skill except the team
4:40:59leaders who already had a brand new
4:41:01skill, so they got an item.
4:41:04Carl shook his wrist showing off the
4:41:06plain gold bracelet and the teachers'
4:41:08eyes went wide in surprise.
4:41:11You got a holy item as a reward?
4:41:13Are you a bishop's secret love child or
4:41:15something?
4:41:17The professor asked.
4:41:19Colonel Valerie snorted in laughter at
4:41:21the old mage's response.
4:41:23She already knew the basics of what had
4:41:25happened thanks to her position and that
4:41:27their level of luck was far higher than
4:41:29what they had revealed so far.
4:41:32Carl followed the colonel and Sergeant
4:41:33Rita away as the professors gathered
4:41:35around the pile of ferns to admire the
4:41:37perfectly preserved state of the
4:41:39delicate plants.
4:41:41If they were lucky, they might even be
4:41:42able to replant these and get a
4:41:44sustainable source of the gel for the
4:41:46academy.
4:41:47Of course, the witches would get them
4:41:49all if they wanted them, but the
4:41:51professors would willingly substitute
4:41:52credits or other resources for them in
4:41:54this condition.
4:41:56Normally, students came back with jars
4:41:58of gel or dead and drying plants after
4:42:01days of travel, but these were still
4:42:03fresh with morning dew and trying to
4:42:04regenerate.
4:42:06Get these to the hydroponics bay.
4:42:08I want them alive.
4:42:11The professor was ordering as Colonel
4:42:12Valerie led Carl and Dana into the main
4:42:15school building.
4:42:16They took seats at desks while the
4:42:18colonel paced in front of them and
4:42:20Sergeant Rita lounged on the teachers'
4:42:22desk waiting for her turn to speak.
4:42:25Well, you lot really broke the system
4:42:27this time.
4:42:28Congratulations on your results and the
4:42:30gains you have made.
4:42:32I have been instructed not to dig into
4:42:34the matter both by my superiors in
4:42:36government and the upper echelon of the
4:42:38elites.
4:42:39But I do need some details.
4:42:42What sort of skills did you get?
4:42:44The rest can be kept private, but I will
4:42:46need to at least know the details of
4:42:48your skills to continue your training.
4:42:51The colonel explained.
4:42:53Dana spoke first.
4:42:55I got a new barrier spell that does a
4:42:57better job of nullifying energy that
4:42:59hits it.
4:43:00Carl got a new skill that makes it
4:43:02easier for him to teach skills to
4:43:03animals.
4:43:05I heard that he taught the Seminary
4:43:07Academy's Nicomeda the basics of the
4:43:08rend skill.
4:43:10Sergeant Rita tried and failed not to
4:43:12laugh at that.
4:43:14You taught a Nicomeda how to use rending
4:43:16claws?
4:43:17What were you thinking?
4:43:19She blurted out.
4:43:21They actually asked me to.
4:43:23Well, they asked me to teach it a new
4:43:25skill and that was the easiest one.
4:43:28It can't really use it well, but once it
4:43:30has a few months or a year to practice,
4:43:33it should be able to use the skill at
4:43:34its own level.
4:43:36If I had more time to train it, the time
4:43:38would reduce.
4:43:40Carl explained.
4:43:42Sergeant Rita sat up straighter.
4:43:44You're saying that there is a chance
4:43:46that the beasts can learn new skills in
4:43:48a short period of time?
4:43:50She asked.
4:43:52Not just a chance, a virtual certainty.
4:43:55The question is just which skills.
4:43:58The compatibility of the target and the
4:44:00ability matters.
4:44:02The more compatible they are, the more
4:44:04easily they will learn it and the more
4:44:05powerful the skill will be when they do
4:44:07activate it.
4:44:09For example, teaching Reya stealth
4:44:11should be dead simple, but teaching Thor
4:44:13to fly would probably never work.
4:44:16The thought of a flying Thor was highly
4:44:18entertaining, though it might be
4:44:20scientifically impossible.
4:44:22The lightning serow was still growing
4:44:24fast and in a few more weeks he would be
4:44:26shoulder to shoulder with Carl and way
4:44:28closer to 500 kilos.
4:44:31That was not the sort of creature that
4:44:33was well adapted to flying.
4:44:35Are there any other resources that
4:44:37aren't on the list and that might not
4:44:38have made an official report that you
4:44:40brought back?
4:44:41We can help you prepare them if you
4:44:43think that they will be good for your
4:44:44pets' development.
4:44:46Sergeant Rita offered.
4:44:48Carl reached into his beast space and
4:44:50brought out a handful of scales from one
4:44:52of the drakes freshly plucked and still
4:44:54dripping with a bit of blood.
4:44:56Sergeant Rita blinked once slowly then
4:44:59turned her attention to Carl.
4:45:01I'm not going to ask how you got drake
4:45:03scales since that was omitted from the
4:45:05official report, but congratulations.
4:45:08Now, what did you think you could do
4:45:10with these?
4:45:11She asked.
4:45:13Well, they're scales and drakes are
4:45:15tough.
4:45:16Thor has scales and they're tough as
4:45:18well.
4:45:19Is there something that can be made with
4:45:21drake scales to help him improve his
4:45:23durability?
4:45:24Carl suggested.
4:45:26Colonel Valerie smiled as Sergeant Rita
4:45:28carefully picked up the scales.
4:45:31Yes, there is something that can be done
4:45:33with these to help his growth and
4:45:34durability.
4:45:36Just don't tell the warriors that you
4:45:38found these or they might cry.
4:45:40Wait, they don't have any, do they?
4:45:43Rita asked.
4:45:45Carl shook his head.
4:45:47I don't think anyone else collected any.
4:45:50They probably know that I have some, but
4:45:52nobody said anything about it with all
4:45:54the chaos at that moment.
4:45:56All right, we will handle that when it
4:45:58comes up.
4:45:59I swear, you two always get involved in
4:46:02the least likely scenario possible.
4:46:04Do you have any idea how rare it is for
4:46:06the church and the elite authority to
4:46:08both classify the same incident?
4:46:11Now, how often do you think that first
4:46:13year students are involved in that
4:46:14scenario?
4:46:16I can't think of another time it has
4:46:17happened.
4:46:19Sergeant Rita sighed.
4:46:21Dana smiled at her and winked at Dave
4:46:23and Jill, her personal trainers, who
4:46:26were waiting outside the door.
4:46:28Well, this time it wasn't just us.
4:46:31All 10 team members were there for it.
4:46:34Rita rolled her eyes and the other two
4:46:36came in followed by Daniel and Alice who
4:46:39must have been waiting out of sight.
4:46:41Hey, did you guys know that one of the
4:46:43team members got a dragon scale pendant?
4:46:46I saw the flash of gold as I passed
4:46:48them.
4:46:50Alice asked as she closed the door
4:46:51behind her.
4:46:53Carl smirked at him.
4:46:55We all did.
4:46:57They were a gift from the church
4:46:58directly, not a random find in the
4:47:00woods.
4:47:01You might want to take a seat and we
4:47:03will tell you what we can.
4:47:05Start with telling me about the drake
4:47:07scales.
4:47:08If you don't want them, I will buy one
4:47:10off you.
4:47:12Dave suggested.
4:47:14I have enough to give you each one if
4:47:15you want it.
4:47:17I'm not sure what all they can be used
4:47:19for, but if they're good, they're good.
4:47:22So, you see, this is how it went.
4:47:25Carl began.
4:47:27Half an hour later and a number of
4:47:28interruptions later, Carl had finished
4:47:30catching everyone up on what had
4:47:32happened without mentioning the holy
4:47:34relic or going into details about the
4:47:36attack by the Drake riders.
4:47:38He hadn't known that part was supposed
4:47:40to be secret, but Colonel Valerie had
4:47:42warned him and then sent a message for
4:47:44her team to make sure that the other
4:47:45students didn't go spreading the story
4:47:47around campus.
4:47:49Tales of foreign invasion teams would
4:47:51just cause tensions and discourage
4:47:53missions at a crucial time for
4:47:55everyone's growth.
4:47:56The Colonel had a bit of insight into
4:47:58what they were up to, enough to assure
4:48:00her that they weren't going to attack at
4:48:02random all over the nation anyhow.
4:48:05But she didn't seem happy about all the
4:48:06extra work.
4:48:08Colonel Valerie finished taking notes
4:48:10and nodded in satisfaction.
4:48:12All right, with all that you two have
4:48:14gained, we are going to have to work on
4:48:16your new skills and test your growth
4:48:18before we do too much more.
4:48:20I will go with Dana's team and Sergeant
4:48:22Rita can do the report for Carl's
4:48:24growth.
4:48:25I have paged Jody to come get the scales
4:48:28and have them processed for use.
4:48:30If Carl has some extras, you lot can
4:48:32have them processed for yourselves as
4:48:34well.
4:48:35Carl smiled and passed over another
4:48:37handful as well as a small vial of Drake
4:48:40blood.
4:48:41He didn't want to give too much of it
4:48:43away as Ray really liked the Drake
4:48:45blood, but the scales weren't really
4:48:47useful to anyone as they were.
4:48:49Is that all of them?
4:48:51Rita asked as Carl finished piling up
4:48:53the loot.
4:48:55No, is it not enough?
4:48:57Carl replied.
4:48:59The Sergeant just shook her head.
4:49:02Never mind.
4:49:03That's enough for today.
4:49:06We will process more of them for you
4:49:07later if you still need them.
4:49:09Dana and the other split off to go test
4:49:12her abilities and Sergeant Rita gestured
4:49:14for Carl to follow her to the training
4:49:16area.
4:49:17I'm not quite sure how we are going to
4:49:19do this, but first I should ask if your
4:49:21pets have learned any new skills yet.
4:49:23She asked as they reached the field.
4:49:26Nothing yet.
4:49:28I didn't have an opportunity to help
4:49:30them as they observed new skills yet.
4:49:32But we had an opportunity to grow our
4:49:34strength and understanding, so we're all
4:49:36a bit better than we were when we left.
4:49:39With the resources that we gained and
4:49:41the extra growth time, everyone is
4:49:43coming along fairly well.
4:49:45Carl replied.
4:49:47That's fine.
4:49:49I don't think that your new skill is one
4:49:51that can be easily shown off unlike the
4:49:53new shield spell.
4:49:55So, we will start with a strength test.
4:49:58Ray was still growing fast when you
4:50:00left, so why don't we start with her?
4:50:03Just the simple test of how long it
4:50:04takes to remove the shield spells is
4:50:06enough to give us an idea where you're
4:50:08at.
4:50:09Rita suggested.
4:50:11Alice set up the barriers and Ray came
4:50:14out to examine them.
4:50:15Over the next few seconds, she went from
4:50:18shiny and black to a dull green that
4:50:20matched the grass, but her curious black
4:50:22eyes were fixed on the barriers.
4:50:25Alice nodded when she had them set up
4:50:27and Ray launched herself forward
4:50:29shattering the first three in the first
4:50:30second, then tearing apart the fourth
4:50:32and starting on the fifth.
4:50:34That one took some time to get down, so
4:50:37the spider backed away to consider how
4:50:38best to destroy the sixth barrier.
4:50:41The three elites stared in shock at the
4:50:43bloodbath spider.
4:50:45The level of absolute violence from her
4:50:47mandibles and armored front legs was
4:50:49outstanding among awakened rank beasts,
4:50:51but it clearly wasn't her limit.
4:50:54The great ability of her species was to
4:50:56adapt their attacks and once she had
4:50:58thought of a way, she might be able to
4:51:00take down the sixth barrier as well.
4:51:03Carl activated skill master and let the
4:51:05magic flow into Ray as she worked on a
4:51:07way to adapt to the barrier.
4:51:09Curiously, she didn't seem to be trying
4:51:12to learn a whole new skill. She was just
4:51:14improving the one she already knew.
4:51:16But when she attacked, the sixth barrier
4:51:19fell in a matter of seconds and the
4:51:21proud spider did a little spinning
4:51:22victory dance in celebration.
4:51:25Good job, Ray.
4:51:27You got that barrier down in record
4:51:29time.
4:51:30Carl congratulated her.
4:51:33Of course, that might only be because
4:51:35she went first, but he doubted that even
4:51:37Hawk would be able to take down the
4:51:38sixth barrier today and Thor wasn't
4:51:41really offensive focused.
4:51:43Well, we can say that given time, Ray
4:51:45can build up to the borderline of
4:51:47ascended rank attack power.
4:51:49Her body isn't quite there yet, but with
4:51:51her adaptation skills, her offensive
4:51:54power is far ahead of the average.
4:51:56Sergeant Rita noted.
4:51:59Thor nudged at Carl's mind asking to be
4:52:01let out to play with the barriers.
4:52:04Who's next?
4:52:05Rita asked.
4:52:07Definitely Thor.
4:52:09He will drive everyone insane if we make
4:52:11him wait for last to play the barrier
4:52:13game.
4:52:14Carl laughed.
4:52:16Hawk also came out of his space to glide
4:52:18around the field.
4:52:20You know, the outside is better.
4:52:22There is so much more room to fly.
4:52:25I could go for a whole hour just flying
4:52:27around.
4:52:29Hawk sighed wistfully.
4:52:31Don't worry, buddy.
4:52:33We will be back outside soon.
4:52:36We just need to work on our skills and
4:52:37power so that we're ready for what we
4:52:39might find out there.
4:52:41Carl replied.
4:52:43The Hawk waited until Thor was about to
4:52:45hit the first barrier, then shattered it
4:52:47with a rend attack and laughed as he
4:52:49flew overhead.
4:52:50Stupid bird, those are my smashing
4:52:53barriers.
4:52:54Thor pouted as he charged for another.
4:52:57He wasn't going through them in order,
4:52:59but Hawk took them out in an orderly
4:53:01manner shattering the first four and
4:53:03leaving Thor to smash into the last two
4:53:05until he wore himself out a little.
4:53:07They make quite the team.
4:53:10Daniel remarked with amusement clear in
4:53:11his tone.
4:53:13Thor gets a bit too excited when there
4:53:15are barriers involved.
4:53:17When he's actually in the field, he's
4:53:19much more serious and professional.
4:53:22Carl replied quietly so he didn't
4:53:24distract the happy beast from his
4:53:25playtime.
4:53:27Rita smiled.
4:53:29It's easy to forget that they're all
4:53:30still very young.
4:53:32They're not adult monsters, they're
4:53:34still children and they need to play and
4:53:36grow.
4:53:37You should have seen him pulling the bus
4:53:39along through the grasslands.
4:53:41He was right on top of things pulling
4:53:44the chain tight when the ground was soft
4:53:45so that the bus didn't spin out.
4:53:48We managed to make it all morning
4:53:49without getting stuck thanks to Thor's
4:53:51help.
4:53:52But now that he's had a nice long nap,
4:53:55he's ready to play again.
4:53:57Carl agreed.
4:53:59Thor pranced around the open field
4:54:01catching the attention of the students
4:54:02practicing nearby.
4:54:04Everyone had heard about the lightning
4:54:06sero's love of smashing into barriers,
4:54:08but none of the classes who were out
4:54:10here right now were working on that, so
4:54:12they just watched as he ran around and
4:54:13charged at the two remaining barriers
4:54:15Alice had set up.
4:54:17Hawk could easily break the weaker of
4:54:19the two remaining barriers, but if he
4:54:21did, then Thor would have no second
4:54:23target for his game and they were set up
4:54:25a few dozen meters apart just enough for
4:54:27him to get a good run at them.
4:54:29All right, we have the basic data for
4:54:31the beasts now.
4:54:33It's not precise, but we can set up a
4:54:35training plan from there.
4:54:38What sort of skills did you want them to
4:54:39learn?
4:54:41Stealth for Ray, but what for the
4:54:42others?
4:54:44Sergeant Rita asked.
4:54:46I think that if we can get Thor to learn
4:54:48a secondary attack spell, that might be
4:54:50best.
4:54:51Lightning would obviously be the first
4:54:53option and I'm thinking of trying to
4:54:55teach him a lightning breath type
4:54:56attack.
4:54:58Carl suggested.
4:55:00Like he was a kaiju from the movies.
4:55:02Breathing lightning and stomping down
4:55:04buildings.
4:55:06That makes sense and it should work with
4:55:08his skills.
4:55:09What about Hawk?
4:55:11Carl shrugged.
4:55:13That's the part I'm stuck on.
4:55:15The skills he has are precisely what he
4:55:17needs.
4:55:19If he's going to learn something new, it
4:55:21would have to be to grow in a different
4:55:22direction because he already knows the
4:55:24skills that are best for a wind speed
4:55:26Hawk.
4:55:27Rita smiled.
4:55:29Then we can work on that.
4:55:31What direction do we want to help Hawk
4:55:33grow in?
4:55:34Carl considered the direction that would
4:55:36be best for Hawk.
4:55:38The bird was happy simply soaring around
4:55:40and scouting and that was what Carl
4:55:42needed him for, but there really wasn't
4:55:44anything that he needed to continue that
4:55:46role.
4:55:47Well, Hawk is our scout for now and he's
4:55:50got incredible senses plus long-ranged
4:55:52attack power.
4:55:54I'm not really sure what sort of
4:55:55direction he would even be able to grow
4:55:57in that wouldn't be contrary to his
4:55:59nature.
4:56:00Carl replied stumped as to the answer.
4:56:03Well, there is more to being the team
4:56:05scout than the actual scouting. I am
4:56:08certain that we can find something that
4:56:09will suit his talents.
4:56:11So, until then, we can start with the
4:56:14obvious ones.
4:56:15There are rogue class elites in training
4:56:17here with various stealth skills.
4:56:20Why don't we take Ray there to observe
4:56:22them and try to learn their skills while
4:56:24we wait for the potion to be made of the
4:56:25scales you provided.
4:56:27She should have a natural affinity for
4:56:29those sorts of skills and if your new
4:56:31ability is as impressive as it sounds,
4:56:34she might even be able to pick up the
4:56:35basics in a few days instead of months.
4:56:38Stealth skills are normally some of the
4:56:40hardest to master, so most of the rogues
4:56:42who don't start with them only learn the
4:56:44basics and prefer to hide in plain sight
4:56:46instead.
4:56:48Sergeant Rita suggested.
4:56:50Carl felt Ray's amusement in his mind.
4:56:53She was good at hiding in plain sight as
4:56:55well, so visiting these rogue people
4:56:57could be a very educational experience.
4:57:00Maybe she can learn invisibility.
4:57:03Just think of it, an invisible bloodbath
4:57:05spider.
4:57:07Daniel suggested wistfully while Alice
4:57:09and Rita looked horrified.
4:57:11Carl had to admit that would be a truly
4:57:14terrifying experience if Ray wasn't your
4:57:16friend.
4:57:17Already she was becoming incredibly
4:57:19powerful and if you couldn't even see
4:57:21her when she got close, there would be
4:57:23very little chance of surviving an
4:57:24attack.
4:57:26Ray's thoughts said that she was a big
4:57:28fan of the invisible bloodbath spider
4:57:29idea, but there was just one problem.
4:57:33There isn't anyone here who knows actual
4:57:35invisibility.
4:57:36Alice reminded them.
4:57:38We have a few who can hide in shadows,
4:57:41which seems just about perfect for Ray's
4:57:43style.
4:57:44It's not perfect, but even a bit more of
4:57:46an advantage with her adaptive
4:57:48coloration, and she will be able to
4:57:50ambush nearly anyone.
4:57:52Daniel suggested.
4:57:54Ray eagerly agreed in Carl's mind.
4:57:57She thinks so as well.
4:57:59Should we try that for today?
4:58:02I haven't found a skill to try to teach
4:58:04my partners yet, so while Hawk thinks up
4:58:06the perfect skill for himself, and we
4:58:08work on the Drake scales, Ray can learn
4:58:10to blend into the shadows even more
4:58:12effectively.
4:58:13Carl agreed on her behalf.
4:58:16Sergeant Rita nodded in satisfaction.
4:58:19Then that is where we will go now.
4:58:21The cultivation of the three beasts will
4:58:23be ongoing at the same time once we get
4:58:25the resources in place, so your schedule
4:58:27will be a bit frantic, but I think that
4:58:29the advantages that your unique class
4:58:31marking provides are becoming very
4:58:33obvious to everyone.
4:58:35The more that you can spread your skills
4:58:36around, the better. And after everyone
4:58:39is grown, we can focus on finding ways
4:58:41to help them break through their natural
4:58:43limits.
4:58:44That seemed like it was getting a bit
4:58:46ahead of the curve.
4:58:48Ray would probably be a commander rank
4:58:49beast when she was fully grown, and it
4:58:51would take a lot for Hawk and Thor to
4:58:53even catch up to that standard.
4:58:56But perhaps that was the point.
4:58:58Hawk was already stronger than most
4:59:00members of his species who hadn't had a
4:59:02fortunate encounter with some special
4:59:04resource.
4:59:05So, they would have to arrange more such
4:59:08meetings for him to allow him to leave
4:59:10the standard of a wind speed hawk behind
4:59:12completely.
4:59:13And when he thought about it that way,
4:59:16Carl realized that simply growing Hawk
4:59:18until he couldn't advance anymore was
4:59:19likely not the most efficient method.
4:59:22If they could change his course early,
4:59:24he might have an easier time growing up
4:59:26to match his more naturally powerful
4:59:28partners.
4:59:29Sergeant Rita led them into one of the
4:59:31buildings on the south side of the
4:59:32compound, and then down the stairs into
4:59:35an underground training area.
4:59:37The moment that they stepped inside, the
4:59:39room was pitch black, and the others
4:59:41hesitated to let their eyes adjust, not
4:59:44realizing that there was stealth
4:59:45training going on, and not a single
4:59:47light anywhere in the area.
4:59:49Not that it was a problem for Carl, but
4:59:51everyone else seemed frozen in place for
4:59:53a moment until one of the students
4:59:55seemed to sense them and launched
4:59:57himself forward in an attack at the side
4:59:59of Alice's head with his training blade.
5:00:01Carl quickly shifted in between the two
5:00:04and caught the student in a smooth hip
5:00:05toss as he had been taught in the
5:00:07martial arts class.
5:00:09The boy hit the ground with a harsh thud
5:00:11and a wheeze of escaping air, which
5:00:13triggered the teacher to turn the lights
5:00:15back on.
5:00:16Not much. It was still very dim, but the
5:00:19practice must have been to see who could
5:00:21land the first strike.
5:00:23I think I'm going to die.
5:00:25The boy moaned as he lay on the ground
5:00:27gasping for breath.
5:00:29There was no blood underneath him, and
5:00:31all his limbs were functioning, so Carl
5:00:33assumed that he would be all right soon.
5:00:36The ground was covered in a soft mat
5:00:38that allowed the students to move
5:00:39silently, or close to it, so he hadn't
5:00:42expected to be intercepted, much less
5:00:44grabbed and thrown like that.
5:00:46Unfair advantage to the visiting team.
5:00:49Good morning, Sergeant. Student Carl,
5:00:51and I'm afraid I don't know either of
5:00:53you.
5:00:54The teacher greeted them.
5:00:56Agents Daniel and Alice of the Bureau of
5:00:58Elite Development.
5:01:00Alice explained.
5:01:02I see.
5:01:04Now, what brings you here today?
5:01:07I don't recall our class prodigy having
5:01:08stealthy tendencies before today.
5:01:11That was a beautiful throw, by the way.
5:01:15I assume you have a way to see in
5:01:16darkness.
5:01:18The teacher replied.
5:01:20Carl smiled.
5:01:22I do.
5:01:23It's not perfect, but it works well
5:01:25enough.
5:01:26The only flaw to Ray's combination of
5:01:28thermal vision and echolocation was the
5:01:30fact that it didn't have the ability to
5:01:32see color, but it was still true that it
5:01:34wasn't perfect.
5:01:36The stealth class students looked
5:01:37jealous of his ability to see in
5:01:39absolute darkness.
5:01:41If they could do that, this class would
5:01:43be so much easier, and they might even
5:01:45get to move up to the more advanced
5:01:46classes.
5:01:48Sergeant Rita filled in the details for
5:01:50the confused professor.
5:01:52We believe that one of his partners
5:01:54might have the ability to learn stealth
5:01:56related skills.
5:01:57She is already superb at moving
5:01:59silently, but moving unseen through
5:02:01shadows would improve her ambushing
5:02:03abilities by a large margin.
5:02:06Partners?
5:02:07One of the students blurted out.
5:02:10He raises pet monsters, remember?
5:02:13It must be that giant spider that they
5:02:15mean.
5:02:16One of the other students whispered
5:02:17back, loud enough for Carl's sensitive
5:02:20hearing to catch.
5:02:21Yes, it is Ray.
5:02:24Would it be too much trouble to have
5:02:25that sort of skill demonstrated for us?
5:02:28She will happily play along with stealth
5:02:30games in exchange.
5:02:32The teacher's smile put all the students
5:02:34on edge.
5:02:36They weren't sure that they wanted to
5:02:37play stealth games with a carnivorous
5:02:39spider the size of a small car.
5:02:42Because really, how tame could something
5:02:44like that be?
5:02:45Triggering her hunting instincts seemed
5:02:47like a terrible idea.
5:02:49Really?
5:02:51If she's fine with helping us train the
5:02:52students in low-light conditions, I
5:02:54would be grateful.
5:02:56There are only so many ways to set up
5:02:58the equipment that we have.
5:03:00The teacher readily agreed.
5:03:03Afraid to teach students in the dark?
5:03:05Do they not know that I am the thing
5:03:07that stalks the night?
5:03:09The monster under the bed that parents
5:03:11used to scare their children into
5:03:12behaving?
5:03:14Ray asked, thinking of all the fun ways
5:03:16she could taunt the students.
5:03:18You go a little vacant-eyed when you're
5:03:20talking to your team.
5:03:22Mind sharing?
5:03:23Sergeant Rita asked.
5:03:26Ray says that she is the monster in the
5:03:28dark that parents warn their children
5:03:29about, and she would love to play with
5:03:31them.
5:03:32Carl repeated.
5:03:34The students cast furtive glances
5:03:36between themselves, and the teacher
5:03:38chuckled.
5:03:39I think that her and I will get along
5:03:41famously.
5:03:42All right, if you can call her out, I
5:03:44will have the students try to move
5:03:46stealthily in the dark.
5:03:48Does she easily create webs?
5:03:51If she could create an obstacle course
5:03:52for them out of the strands, it would
5:03:54make this more interesting.
5:03:56The teacher suggested.
5:03:59Ray stepped out of the beast space and
5:04:00immediately faded from her natural shiny
5:04:02black and red to a dull soot black that
5:04:05perfectly matched the room.
5:04:07All right, she will set the obstacle
5:04:09course up right away.
5:04:11Ray sent out a maze of webs as she
5:04:13darted around the room, terrifying the
5:04:15students whose eyesight was good enough
5:04:17to keep track of her.
5:04:18That should do it.
5:04:20She built an obstacle course around your
5:04:22existing course made of sticky spider
5:04:24silk.
5:04:26If they catch one strand, it will ring
5:04:28the bell in the middle of the room, and
5:04:30if they catch a bunch, they will just
5:04:32end up tangled.
5:04:33Carl explained with a gesture toward the
5:04:35bell, which was now the focal point of
5:04:38dozens of strands of silk.
5:04:40How much light do you need to track
5:04:41movement?
5:04:43The teacher asked.
5:04:45Zero.
5:04:46I can detect movement decently well even
5:04:48with absolutely no light, but in this
5:04:51room, and in their uniforms, it would be
5:04:53nearly impossible for me not to detect
5:04:55them unless they were truly invisible.
5:04:58Carl explained.
5:05:00Jeff, activate your stealth skill.
5:05:03The teacher instructed, and one of the
5:05:04boys seemed to simply vanish into the
5:05:06shadows.
5:05:08Even thermal vision seemed to have a
5:05:09hard time finding him, so the skill was
5:05:12magical and not just a simple trick.
5:05:15Carl nodded.
5:05:16I should be able to track him, but not
5:05:19easily.
5:05:20Ray might do a bit better because she's
5:05:22got the superior senses.
5:05:24All right, Jeff, you're up first through
5:05:26the obstacle course.
5:05:28Everyone in the class has a button. They
5:05:30press it when the student in question
5:05:32activates the button at an obstacle.
5:05:35If they get it right, it means they have
5:05:37seen through the skill.
5:05:39It's how we work on our stealth.
5:05:41The teacher explained.
5:05:43The dark-haired boy began to creep
5:05:45through the obstacle course, focused on
5:05:47keeping his stealth skill active as he
5:05:49approached the first obstacle with a
5:05:51button.
5:05:52But his eyesight wasn't as good as
5:05:54Carl's, and just before his hand reached
5:05:55the platform, a soft jingle echoed in
5:05:58the room as his leg bumped one of the
5:05:59web strands.
5:06:01He had to resist the urge to cuss and
5:06:03give his position away, but the effort
5:06:05he was putting into his skill was giving
5:06:07Carl high hopes that his skill master
5:06:09technique would allow Ray to learn it by
5:06:11watching it fairly quickly.
5:06:13With visible relief, Jeff made it past
5:06:16the first buzzer, then immediately
5:06:18turned and stepped without looking, and
5:06:19found himself stuck immobile in the
5:06:21spider web.
5:06:22The boy cursed as he struggled to get
5:06:24free, and only got himself more stuck.
5:06:28That made his stealth skill fail, and
5:06:30now the whole class could clearly see
5:06:31his predicament.
5:06:33All right, I will cut him free, and we
5:06:35will keep going.
5:06:37Remember, there are spider webs, and you
5:06:39have to watch for them, not just run the
5:06:42route by memory.
5:06:43The teacher admonished his stealth
5:06:45class.
5:06:46The reason for the dimmed lights became
5:06:48obvious with the second student.
5:06:51His ability let him blend with the
5:06:52darkness, but not as well as the first,
5:06:55though his footsteps were rendered
5:06:56almost silent.
5:06:58Not enough that Ray had a problem
5:07:00following him, but enough that the other
5:07:02students would.
5:07:03He was also agile and doing a decent job
5:07:06of evading the spider webs as he made it
5:07:08to the first button, and then the
5:07:09second.
5:07:11Carl briefly wondered if any of these
5:07:13students knew their skill well enough
5:07:14that Ray might learn anything, but all
5:07:16he could do about it was to just watch
5:07:18and hope that something in Ray's mind
5:07:20clicked and let her understand the
5:07:21trick.
5:07:22Learning something new was usually down
5:07:24to the quality of the instruction that
5:07:26you received, but teacher wasn't showing
5:07:28off skills here. And honestly, the
5:07:30students weren't much better at hiding
5:07:32themselves than Ray already was with her
5:07:34ability to change her exterior
5:07:35coloration.
5:07:37But even though the stealth training
5:07:38might not be as helpful as Carl had
5:07:40hoped, the bloodbath spider was having
5:07:42an incredible time making security traps
5:07:44out of her web for them to try to move
5:07:46through.
5:07:47It was a great exercise in tactical and
5:07:49practical thinking for the young spider,
5:07:52and as she kept adjusting it to replace
5:07:53the strands that were broken as the
5:07:55students kept running into them in the
5:07:56dark, she was getting better at placing
5:07:58them in just the right spot that
5:08:00students would unwittingly step into
5:08:02ones that should be easily avoided.
5:08:04The teacher was nearly laughing by the
5:08:06time that the last student stumbled as
5:08:08she made her way over a low web, only to
5:08:10get another across the face, and then
5:08:12fall into the tangled web attached to
5:08:14the room's central bell.
5:08:16The bell jingled wildly as the girl
5:08:18flailed in the webbing, and the others
5:08:20began to laugh softly.
5:08:22"Ray, would you mind going to help her
5:08:24out?"
5:08:25Carl asked as the girl was now fully
5:08:27cocooned in the sticky silk after
5:08:29rolling over in a vain attempt to
5:08:31escape.
5:08:32The spider stalked across the room,
5:08:34nimbly avoiding her own webbing while
5:08:36blended perfectly to the color of the
5:08:38flooring.
5:08:39Half of the students couldn't even see
5:08:41how she was avoiding the webs as she
5:08:43went, only her main body, which was
5:08:45large enough for them to keep a close
5:08:47watch on.
5:08:48Once she got to the struggling girl, Ray
5:08:50cut a bit of the webbing free and picked
5:08:52her up with her front legs to consider
5:08:54how best to get her free of the tangled
5:08:56mess.
5:08:57This, predictably, caused the student to
5:08:59panic at being millimeters from the
5:09:01vicious mandibles of the bloodbath
5:09:03spider, and flail even more, which only
5:09:05increased the entanglement.
5:09:07But Ray had a simple solution.
5:09:10If she couldn't easily pull her free,
5:09:12she would cut her free.
5:09:14"I suggest that you do not move for this
5:09:16part, or you will end up having your
5:09:18uniform cut off you along with the
5:09:20webbing."
5:09:21Carl warned her, and the student went
5:09:23completely still in Ray's grasp.
5:09:26The other students also fell silent as
5:09:28they realized that Carl was serious, and
5:09:30that this was an actual bloodbath spider
5:09:32fully capable of cutting through them
5:09:34and not just the sticky silk they had
5:09:36all gotten caught in today.
5:09:38But once the student was immobile, Ray
5:09:40easily slit the silk and let it fall
5:09:42down around her legs before returning
5:09:44the student to her professor, carried on
5:09:46the armored front legs like a gift
5:09:48package.
5:09:49"Thank you, Ray.
5:09:51You did a fine job."
5:09:53The teacher laughed as he accepted the
5:09:55delivery and lifted the girl out of the
5:09:57spider's embrace.
5:09:59With the class finished, they took a
5:10:01break for lunch, where Sergeant Rita
5:10:03looked expectantly at Carl, who had
5:10:05called Ray back into his mental space to
5:10:07keep her from teasing the students.
5:10:10Carl shook his head.
5:10:12"I don't think that they're good enough
5:10:13with the skills for Ray to learn them
5:10:15that fast.
5:10:16The better the teacher, the faster the
5:10:18results.
5:10:20I have a much better than usual grasp of
5:10:22rend, and I could barely teach it to the
5:10:24Nicomeda.
5:10:25So, I think we will either need class to
5:10:28teach her or one of the professionals.
5:10:31The problem is that they're not better
5:10:33at hiding than I am.
5:10:35What am I supposed to learn from them?
5:10:37They can't even properly blend into the
5:10:39surroundings, just cloak themselves with
5:10:41magic, which I can smell."
5:10:44Ray complained, making sure Carl knew
5:10:46this was not her fault.
5:10:48"All right, we can work on something
5:10:50else.
5:10:51There isn't any particular rush to get
5:10:53them improved, but in a way there is.
5:10:56The bureau is looking forward to a
5:10:58return on investment, and that
5:10:59essentially means proof that your class
5:11:01can advance a magical beast beyond what
5:11:03it would normally be capable of.
5:11:06Not just by feeding it resources, but
5:11:08through some innate part of your class
5:11:10skills."
5:11:11Rita explained while Alice nodded in
5:11:13agreement.
5:11:15The mage smiled at them both as she
5:11:17began to explain.
5:11:19"The results are already excellent, and
5:11:21the beasts have already proven
5:11:22themselves superior to golems, as well
5:11:24as proving their rapid growth speed.
5:11:27But in order to reclassify your marking,
5:11:29they want proof that it can do the
5:11:31exceptional, like the handful of
5:11:33off-brand class markings that have led
5:11:35to overlord rank elites in the past."
5:11:37That sounded like a big goal to Carl.
5:11:40There were only a handful of elites
5:11:42above royal rank, and even the royal
5:11:44rank elites who were out to the public
5:11:46were celebrities.
5:11:48Just suggesting that they would want him
5:11:49to make it to that level put a lot of
5:11:51pressure on Carl, but for some reason,
5:11:53Ray and Thor didn't seem all that
5:11:55concerned.
5:11:57Hawk knew he was already well beyond
5:11:58what most wind speed hawks would reach.
5:12:01It was just difficult to prove that it
5:12:02wasn't the result of the resources they
5:12:04had gotten.
5:12:05But with so little available for the
5:12:07other two, it would soon be clear that
5:12:09they were going to be greater than any
5:12:11other of their kind.
5:12:13Sergeant Rita drummed her fingers on the
5:12:15table as she thought about their next
5:12:16course of action.
5:12:18"Why don't we try something different
5:12:19for Thor this afternoon?
5:12:22You suggested teaching him lightning
5:12:23attack skills, since he already knows
5:12:25lightning shield, or is it refreshing
5:12:27lightning?"
5:12:29"Refreshing lightning." Carl confirmed.
5:12:32"So, while it might be tempting to
5:12:34develop him into a tank, I think that
5:12:36there is something to be said about the
5:12:37chances of him becoming a durable
5:12:39front-line attacker.
5:12:40If he could learn a few attack spells to
5:12:42give himself a bit of range, just enough
5:12:45to engage or stun the targets before he
5:12:47charged, it would make a world of
5:12:48difference."
5:12:50Rita continued.
5:12:52Thor considered the proposal.
5:12:54It made sense that he should be able to
5:12:56use lightning to do more than defend.
5:12:59It was most important to defend the
5:13:00herd, but you still had to chase away
5:13:02enemies, and there was no reason not to
5:13:04use more than horns for that.
5:13:07"There are likely other ways that we can
5:13:08develop Thor as well.
5:13:11Basic things like more regeneration or
5:13:13an illusion spell that would make it
5:13:14look like there were more of him.
5:13:16Training new attack method seems like
5:13:18the simplest option, though."
5:13:21Alice suggested.
5:13:23The thought of teaching Thor to make it
5:13:24appear that he had a whole herd with him
5:13:26seemed like it might actually be very
5:13:28well suited to him and a great form of
5:13:30camouflage.
5:13:31Not many people would question the fact
5:13:33that there was a herd of lightning serow
5:13:35moving together, as that was how they
5:13:37normally lived.
5:13:39In comparison, one lone serow was much
5:13:41more suspicious.
5:13:43Especially if he was traveling with
5:13:45creatures of other species or humans.
5:13:49Illusion magic might be too far out of
5:13:51his abilities, but having Thor with a
5:13:53pack of serow would be a great disguise
5:13:55when we were traveling.
5:13:57Maybe we can teach some of the mages an
5:13:59illusion spell like that, which will
5:14:00make the group members look like serow
5:14:02to outsiders.
5:14:04Then we will have one real one to
5:14:06interact with others, and the rest of us
5:14:08will make it look natural, as if the
5:14:10herd was just passing through."
5:14:12Carl suggested.
5:14:14The tutors laughed at the idea of a
5:14:16whole team of elites pretending to be
5:14:18serow and hiding under illusions.
5:14:20"It should work, but it might cause a
5:14:22different set of problems as the
5:14:24creatures that considered the serow a
5:14:25food product would be attracted to them
5:14:27in an attempt to pick off the slow and
5:14:29weak members.
5:14:31Compared to the real thing, most of the
5:14:33elites would be slow and weak members of
5:14:35the herd, and the result could be less
5:14:37than desirable.
5:14:39Why don't we start with showing him some
5:14:40of the magical skills or elemental
5:14:42warrior attacks to see what he might
5:14:44feel compatible with?
5:14:46There are a wide variety of lightning
5:14:48attacks between the mages and the
5:14:50warriors, so I think that if we show
5:14:52Thor all of them, he should be able to
5:14:54pick the best one.
5:14:55I know that there are some mages working
5:14:57on lightning bolts today, so we can try
5:14:59that first."
5:15:01Rita suggested.
5:15:03There were no objections, so they
5:15:05finished their lunch quickly and
5:15:07prepared to head across the grounds to
5:15:08Rita's chosen location for training.
5:15:11But halfway across the field, one of the
5:15:13other training groups caught Thor's
5:15:15attention.
5:15:16"I want to try that one."
5:15:19He suggested, pulling Carl's attention
5:15:21to the berserkers.
5:15:23"You want to be a berserker?"
5:15:25Carl laughed.
5:15:27"No, the smash.
5:15:29I wish to try the smash."
5:15:31Carl watched them getting started on
5:15:33their training and saw that it was the
5:15:35senior year class, all ascended rank
5:15:37students, unless there was a commander
5:15:39rank among the berserkers.
5:15:41"Thor wants to smash."
5:15:43Carl informed the others with a gesture
5:15:46toward a student who was working on her
5:15:48earthquake skill.
5:15:50"Earthquake?
5:15:51That seems a bit odd for him, but then
5:15:53the serow species all have that large
5:15:55spiked ball on their tail, don't they?
5:15:58They normally attack with their horns,
5:16:00but the tail could be suitable to
5:16:02activate shaking and stunning type
5:16:04skills.
5:16:05I will go talk to the professor."
5:16:08Rita agreed readily once she heard it
5:16:10was Thor's idea.
5:16:11From others, it might sound insane, but
5:16:14from Thor himself, it might just be
5:16:16viable for him to learn the skill.
5:16:19Nobody would know the beasts better than
5:16:20they knew themselves, or so she assumed.
5:16:24Plus, even if it didn't work, it would
5:16:26be fun to watch Thor thumping his tail
5:16:28on the ground and trying.
5:16:30There was no real guidance to what he
5:16:32could or couldn't learn, but if he was
5:16:33feeling enthusiastic about it, there
5:16:35should be at least some chance that Thor
5:16:37could learn earthquake or a related
5:16:39skill.
5:16:40It was physically compatible with him,
5:16:42as the skill was normally activated with
5:16:44a large blunt weapon.
5:16:46Either his feet or the ball on his tail
5:16:48filled that requirement, and his
5:16:50strength was far above the human
5:16:52standard already, even compared to the
5:16:54berserkers at his level.
5:16:56His tail was thicker than any of their
5:16:58arms and flexible like a whip with a
5:17:00solid ball at the end.
5:17:02They would just need to convince the
5:17:04teacher of the class that it wouldn't
5:17:05mess with their students' education to
5:17:07have the serow join them in class.
5:17:09Many of the professors were very
5:17:11protective of the groups who had been
5:17:12assigned to them, and suggesting that
5:17:14you wanted to mess with their training
5:17:16routine was a fast way to get on the bad
5:17:18side of many of the academy staff
5:17:20members.
5:17:21So, it was with a sense of nervous
5:17:23determination that they approached the
5:17:25Berserker training area with Thor out
5:17:27and prancing along beside them, eager to
5:17:29join the training, but under orders not
5:17:31to mess around until he had permission
5:17:33to join the students.
5:17:35Carl gave it about 5 seconds after they
5:17:37actually reached the training area
5:17:38before Thor would have to either be
5:17:40forcibly restrained or allowed to learn
5:17:42the way he was getting excited as he saw
5:17:44the students shaking the ground with
5:17:46their skills.
5:17:47It was a bit like the footsteps of the
5:17:49larger reptilian species that caused the
5:17:51ground to shake with every step, and
5:17:53that sensation was ingrained into his
5:17:55genetic memory to mean that a species
5:17:57was impressive.
5:17:59So, in his mind, any Berserker that
5:18:01could use an earthquake skill must be
5:18:03impressive.
5:18:05Fortunately for them, the class was
5:18:06being taught by Tank, who was overjoyed
5:18:09to have new students to teach in his
5:18:10class, even if it was a lightning Serol.
5:18:14Come on over and join the earthquake
5:18:15group.
5:18:17I know the skill as well, so if Thor
5:18:19encounters any issues, just ask me.
5:18:22But the ones here are all getting pretty
5:18:24good at it, even though it's a very
5:18:25advanced skill, so it shouldn't be
5:18:27difficult to learn from them.
5:18:29Just remember that they are Berserkers,
5:18:31so try not to get in the way of their
5:18:33training.
5:18:34The massive professor instructed.
5:18:37Got it.
5:18:38I'm sure that Thor will be fine. He's
5:18:41always been well-behaved.
5:18:43Carl agreed.
5:18:45The Berserkers gave the newcomers
5:18:46curious looks as it was uncommon for
5:18:48anyone to visit their classes, and
5:18:50certainly not the juniors from other
5:18:52specialties, but when Thor was called
5:18:54out, they all changed from curious to
5:18:56bemused.
5:18:58The Serol wanted to learn earthquake.
5:19:01All right, then. Let him try.
5:19:03They began their practice with Tank
5:19:05guiding them to correct what they were
5:19:07doing wrong.
5:19:08The strike sent up constant puffs of
5:19:10sand from the practice area, and Carl
5:19:12activated skill master while Thor
5:19:15watched intently.
5:19:17For a moment, he wasn't quite sure how
5:19:19to adapt that to himself, but when one
5:19:21of the Berserkers used a spinning strike
5:19:23with a two-handed maul, Thor began to
5:19:25understand.
5:19:27He turned on the spot and whipped his
5:19:28tail ball around, pounding it into the
5:19:30dirt and sending up a plume of sand, but
5:19:33there was no earthquake effect, just the
5:19:35brute strength of an awakened rank
5:19:36beast.
5:19:38But everyone had to start somewhere, and
5:19:40after a few more strikes, Thor started
5:19:42to channel his lightning to his tail as
5:19:44he attacked, using up some of his
5:19:45limited mana to enhance the attack.
5:19:48The first few times he tried that, it
5:19:50just made an armor tail, but near the
5:19:52end of the class, he struck the ground
5:19:55and it trembled while lightning spread
5:19:57through the sand.
5:19:58Now, that's more like it.
5:20:01The strength wasn't quite there, but
5:20:02he's got the idea now.
5:20:05Tank congratulated them from his spot
5:20:06across the training grounds.
5:20:09He's a natural.
5:20:11One of the seniors agreed as Thor
5:20:13focused and pounded the ground again,
5:20:15creating a bit more of an actual
5:20:17earthquake effect.
5:20:18I wish I were as natural as that.
5:20:21I swear he's cheating.
5:20:23One of the students who was training
5:20:25whirlwind laughed.
5:20:27Carl smiled at the older boy.
5:20:29I am using a skill to help him
5:20:31comprehend new abilities, but most of
5:20:33that is all him.
5:20:35From the look of it, he didn't just
5:20:37learn earthquake. This is a lightning
5:20:39variant.
5:20:40With a bit more practice, I think he
5:20:42will be able to use it to both stun and
5:20:44destabilize his opponents.
5:20:46Well, if your skill can let him learn
5:20:48new abilities in a single day, I will
5:20:51call it a resounding success.
5:20:53But not only that, it's an advanced
5:20:55skill.
5:20:56Most of the class will work on that for
5:20:58an entire semester before they have it
5:21:00mastered.
5:21:02Now, I won't say Thor is a master of the
5:21:04earthquake skill, but I will say that he
5:21:06did manage to activate it the first day.
5:21:09I trust that I will be seeing him again
5:21:11in the near future.
5:21:12Tank asked.
5:21:14Of course.
5:21:16He needs to finish mastering the skill,
5:21:18or at least getting it to a proficient
5:21:20level with the help of your experts
5:21:21here.
5:21:23I think today proved a hypothesis for us
5:21:25as well.
5:21:26The more skilled the instructor, the
5:21:28faster they will be able to learn a
5:21:30skill.
5:21:31Learning from the first years was a huge
5:21:33flop for Ray.
5:21:35Carl explained.
5:21:37The Berserkers all seem to understand
5:21:39the concept.
5:21:40Quality in, quality out.
5:21:43One of them recited as if it were part
5:21:45of their core curriculum.
5:21:47It's a logic we use for developing our
5:21:49bodies, but I suppose that it works well
5:21:51enough for learning skills as well.
5:21:54You can only get results from a good
5:21:56regimen.
5:21:57One of the other students explained.
5:22:00Then we will have to look for the very
5:22:01best to teach the new skills.
5:22:04With Thor already learning the
5:22:05essentials of earthquake, I think that
5:22:07we might really be on to something.
5:22:10Rita agreed with a smile.
5:22:12She ran a hand through her short black
5:22:14hair, a sure sign that she was thinking
5:22:16deeply about something. Then she nodded
5:22:19to herself and smiled at Carl.
5:22:21How about we take you through the
5:22:22advanced classes tomorrow morning to see
5:22:25what will work best for Ray and Hawk.
5:22:27If they find a skill that they like,
5:22:29they can learn it that way.
5:22:31She suggested.
5:22:33That's a brilliant idea.
5:22:36When they see the skills in action, it
5:22:38should give them a much better idea of
5:22:39what would suit them than having us pick
5:22:41for them.
5:22:42Thor had so much fun with earthquake
5:22:44that I'm certain they'll be enthusiastic
5:22:46about it tomorrow.
5:22:48Carl agreed.
5:22:50Maybe.
5:22:51Ray agreed, hoping it would be better
5:22:53than today.
5:22:54Can't I just mess with the mages again?
5:22:57I haven't gotten to intercept water
5:22:59spells in days.
5:23:01Hawk asked.
5:23:03I will see if we can get you back to
5:23:04your accuracy training.
5:23:06They're just very excited to see how
5:23:08well my new power works to teach you all
5:23:10new skills.
5:23:12Carl replied.
5:23:14Hawk huffed in annoyance and settled
5:23:15into his nest for the afternoon, while
5:23:17Ray laughed at his boredom, and Thor
5:23:19settled into the pond in his space for a
5:23:21little nap.
5:23:23Surprisingly, Dana was not at dinner,
5:23:25nor did she show up at his room that
5:23:27night, despite the fact that the rooms
5:23:29on either side of her were going as
5:23:30crazy as usual with the training.
5:23:33Whatever training they had her doing
5:23:35must have been intense if it was still
5:23:36ongoing when he fell asleep, or perhaps
5:23:38they had just left the campus for the
5:23:40day to train in secret somewhere.
5:23:43There were always training spots away
5:23:44from the eyes of the other students when
5:23:46you had a dedicated tutor, but they had
5:23:48just gotten back from an outing, and he
5:23:50hadn't expected the tutors to be so
5:23:52eager.
5:23:53So, when he saw her at breakfast the
5:23:55next morning, looking exhausted and half
5:23:57asleep, Carl was both relieved and
5:23:59amused to see her.
5:24:01Long night?
5:24:03He asked as he sat down with his
5:24:04breakfast.
5:24:06You have no idea.
5:24:08I was training until after midnight, and
5:24:10then I was chased out of bed bright and
5:24:12early this morning to go for early
5:24:13morning mental focus training.
5:24:16It's supposed to help my mana
5:24:17development, but after breakfast seems
5:24:19like a much more reasonable hour for it.
5:24:22She sighed.
5:24:24Jill and Rita walked in together and
5:24:26spotted Dana and Carl finishing their
5:24:28meals.
5:24:29The two students had wary looks on their
5:24:31faces, but Jill was smiling.
5:24:34Relax. Today won't be so bad.
5:24:37I'm taking Dana to meditate, and Carl
5:24:39gets to take the pets to choose skills
5:24:41they want to learn.
5:24:43That shouldn't be bad at all.
5:24:45Jill tried to assure them.
5:24:48Dana gave a rueful laugh.
5:24:50That's what you said yesterday, but that
5:24:52focus training was torture.
5:24:54Watching Hawk and the others pick out
5:24:56new skills doesn't sound bad, though.
5:24:59All the Berserkers are talking about how
5:25:01much fun Thor had yesterday.
5:25:04Dana agreed.
5:25:06See? A nice, easy training day for
5:25:08everyone.
5:25:09The little blonde mage laughed, then
5:25:11motioned for them to follow as she
5:25:13ushered Rita out of the room.
5:25:15Carl followed Rita out of the cafeteria,
5:25:18where they met with Alice and Daniel,
5:25:20who were both prepared with a list of
5:25:21the skills that were currently being
5:25:23taught on the campus.
5:25:25We aren't sure what ones they will like,
5:25:27and I'm not certain they will know until
5:25:28they see them, but I thought that we
5:25:30might as well start with the advanced
5:25:32warriors.
5:25:33They're the most likely choice, since
5:25:35none of the three are straight magic
5:25:37users.
5:25:38Hawk would be the closest to it, but he
5:25:40seems to have a vendetta against magical
5:25:42attacks, not a particular affinity for
5:25:44them.
5:25:46Though he did learn a wind barrier,
5:25:47didn't he?
5:25:49Perhaps he has an affinity for more
5:25:51types of ranged magic.
5:25:53Alice noted.
5:25:55Daniel pointed toward one of the larger
5:25:57training buildings.
5:25:59We will start there.
5:26:00The Berserkers are in technique and
5:26:02theory training this morning, so Thor
5:26:04can join them in the afternoon for
5:26:06skills training.
5:26:07But we have a wide variety of other
5:26:09skills that Ray or Hawk might like.
5:26:12Also, we have the drake scale potions
5:26:15ready for you.
5:26:16The drake that you gathered was an
5:26:17impressive one, nearly to ascended rank,
5:26:20and the potions turned out very well,
5:26:22with both quantity and quality coming
5:26:24out above average when they were
5:26:25finished.
5:26:27We owe the alchemy professor a favor
5:26:29still, but I paid for the service with a
5:26:31dose of the potion, so she won't be too
5:26:33hard on us.
5:26:35We can try it out over the lunch break
5:26:36and see how the beasts react to the
5:26:38concoction.
5:26:40It may have no effect on Ray or Hawk,
5:26:42but it should be great for Thor.
5:26:45With harder scales and a bit of dragon
5:26:47essence derived from the drakes, he
5:26:49might even unlock another new skill of
5:26:51his own.
5:26:52The sandy-haired warrior explained.
5:26:55Thor vaguely recognized that they were
5:26:57talking about him, but he was almost
5:26:59completely focused on smashing.
5:27:02He could always smash with his horns,
5:27:04but now he had learned to properly smash
5:27:06with his tail, and not just swat with
5:27:08it.
5:27:09That was surely the way that things were
5:27:11meant to be.
5:27:12All sides of a Serol could be weaponized
5:27:15with lightning, so it was only natural
5:27:17that the tail could become an even
5:27:18better weapon.
5:27:20They walked into the viewing area of the
5:27:21training center, a central area which
5:27:23had windows on all sides to view the
5:27:25various levels of training grounds, and
5:27:28Rita gave Carl an expectant look.
5:27:30Well, take a look around or have Ray and
5:27:33Hawk do it, and let us know if there is
5:27:35anything here that peaks their interest.
5:27:38There are quite a few skills being
5:27:39trained here right now, and it's all
5:27:41students in their third and fourth
5:27:42years.
5:27:44The first and second years use the
5:27:46facility in the afternoon.
5:27:48She explained.
5:27:50There.
5:27:51There is a good skill being used.
5:27:54The blue seven arenas.
5:27:56Ray insisted.
5:27:58Blue seven.
5:28:00Carl asked out loud, and Rita brought it
5:28:02up on a larger screen as the window was
5:28:04on a higher level.
5:28:06I believe that skill is called lacerate.
5:28:10It causes massive hemorrhaging from any
5:28:12inflicted wound.
5:28:14Is that something that Hawk or Ray would
5:28:15like?
5:28:17Rita replied.
5:28:19Ray.
5:28:20Carl replied with a smirk that made the
5:28:22others roll their eyes.
5:28:24Of course it's Ray.
5:28:26I should have known.
5:28:28The skill deals a massive amount of
5:28:30damage as well, and against inorganic
5:28:32targets, it does as much damage as
5:28:35shred.
5:28:36It's not one that can be taught by a
5:28:38skill book, though.
5:28:40Only a few students have the aptitude
5:28:42for it, and they all start out with a
5:28:43lesser version of it as their first
5:28:45class skill.
5:28:47She explained.
5:28:49Alice led the way up to the next floor,
5:28:51where they could watch the skill in
5:28:52action directly.
5:28:54Will this be close enough, or do we need
5:28:56to talk to the warriors to see if they
5:28:58can spare some time to help Ray?
5:29:00There is no professor for this skill, so
5:29:02you would have to ask the students
5:29:04directly.
5:29:05Alice explained.
5:29:07I need to practice it to know.
5:29:10Ray informed Carl as if it should be
5:29:12obvious.
5:29:13She will need to practice.
5:29:16But I think that I have just the thing.
5:29:18I gathered a lot of moss on the last
5:29:20trip, and I have some drying in Hawk's
5:29:22space.
5:29:23I will trade them some in exchange for
5:29:25their time if they're interested.
5:29:28Carl suggested.
5:29:30The beast's attention was drawn to his
5:29:31remark.
5:29:33They could bribe the seniors with shiny
5:29:35gifts to teach them new things.
5:29:37Why hadn't they just done that from the
5:29:39start?
5:29:40It must be because he needed that skill.
5:29:43Now, we will have to watch for more good
5:29:45things in the future.
5:29:47Hawk informed the other two.
5:29:50For sure.
5:29:51It's good that we stored a lot of stuff.
5:29:54But the berserkers are easy. They just
5:29:56like to smash.
5:29:58Thor replied.
5:30:00Carl knocked at the door between the
5:30:01observation area and the blue training
5:30:03grounds, alerting the students that
5:30:05someone was entering, then made his way
5:30:07to the number seven training ring.
5:30:10Good morning.
5:30:11My name is Carl, and I've got a
5:30:13bloodbath spider that is very interested
5:30:15in learning lacerate from you.
5:30:17He introduced himself.
5:30:19The senior class student smiled at the
5:30:21brazen young student.
5:30:24And why would I spare time to do that?
5:30:26He asked.
5:30:28Carl took out a small brick of dried
5:30:30moss, and the student's smile grew much
5:30:32wider.
5:30:33Now, that's the way to do it.
5:30:36None of the silly haggling or pleas for
5:30:38charity.
5:30:39You said you want to teach the skill to
5:30:41a spider.
5:30:42The student replied as he took the
5:30:44bundle of moss from Carl and tucked it
5:30:46into a pocket of his coat, which was
5:30:48sitting at the edge of the ring.
5:30:50Yes.
5:30:51Ray, come on out and say hello.
5:30:54I'm sorry. I forgot to ask your name,
5:30:57but this is Ray, and she thinks that she
5:30:59would be quite compatible with lacerate.
5:31:02Carl explained as Ray stepped out into
5:31:04the ring.
5:31:05Damn, man. Now, that's a spider.
5:31:09All right. I am not quite sure how well
5:31:11this will work, but I've taught a few of
5:31:13the younger guys already.
5:31:15Step back from the ring, and I will
5:31:17begin.
5:31:18Ray, you can stay in here since there is
5:31:21a magic barrier.
5:31:23You can call me Jonah.
5:31:25He agreed.
5:31:26Carl stepped back and let Jonah work,
5:31:29while the other students in the area
5:31:30watched him showing off the initial mana
5:31:32flow to Ray, who he wasn't sure could
5:31:34even sense or feel them.
5:31:36Carl kept the skill active with the two
5:31:38of them as the targets, and the flow of
5:31:41knowledge into Ray's mind was
5:31:42immediately clear.
5:31:44Compared to the Nekomata, she was much
5:31:46more compatible with this skill, and
5:31:48after a half hour of simple
5:31:49demonstrations and exaggerated sword
5:31:51swings, she lunged forward with her
5:31:53forelegs coated in black energy.
5:31:56The training target lit up with red
5:31:58light as her flurry of strikes hit it,
5:32:00and Jonah whistled in appreciation.
5:32:03Lacerate activated.
5:32:05Awakened rank.
5:32:07Total damage score 750.
5:32:10The screen in the training area
5:32:11declared.
5:32:13One of the other warriors gave a pained
5:32:15cry.
5:32:16750.
5:32:18Dragon gods, have you forsaken me?
5:32:22I have been outperformed by a spider.
5:32:24Jonah laughed and shook his head.
5:32:27Do you not know about the bloodbath
5:32:28spiders?
5:32:30She's still not even fully grown, just a
5:32:32young girl.
5:32:34Give her another year, and she will be a
5:32:36commander rank beast hitting a thousand
5:32:38points without using a skill.
5:32:41I like this skill.
5:32:43I bet I could pop the beetle open with
5:32:44just one claw now.
5:32:46I wouldn't even have to decapitate it to
5:32:48get to the good parts.
5:32:50Ray informed Carl.
5:32:52Ray says you're an excellent teacher,
5:32:54and she's very fond of this new skill.
5:32:57Carl informed Jonah, who shook his head
5:33:00and gave Ray a thumbs up.
5:33:02Sergeant Rita and Daniel came out to
5:33:04join Carl, both stunned by the
5:33:06performance.
5:33:08If I didn't know better, I would say
5:33:09that was a racial skill.
5:33:12That level of learning is incredible.
5:33:14Rita greeted him.
5:33:16Perhaps because it's a class skill of
5:33:18Jonah's.
5:33:19I cast the spell over the two of them so
5:33:21they could communicate more clearly, and
5:33:24Ray picked it up right away.
5:33:26She doesn't feel like she's mastered the
5:33:28skill, but she can make it activate now.
5:33:31Carl replied as the spider and the
5:33:33warrior went back to training.
5:33:35Ray and Jonah took turns working on
5:33:37their attacks, with Jonah stopping in
5:33:39between to give her pointers based on
5:33:41how she had activated it the last time.
5:33:43There was a lot involved in the advanced
5:33:45skill beyond just being able to make it
5:33:47work, and the actual bleeding effect
5:33:49could vary wildly based on how you did
5:33:51it.
5:33:52It was the fine details that were the
5:33:54killer with advanced skills, but Ray was
5:33:56a natural at this, and by the end of the
5:33:58morning, she was nearly giving Jonah a
5:34:00run for top damage.
5:34:03Much of that was up to her offensive
5:34:04optimization combining with her new
5:34:06attack skill, but together, her damage
5:34:09was clearly into the ascended rank by
5:34:10the end of the class.
5:34:12Thank you, Jonah.
5:34:14I believe that she has the basics down
5:34:16now.
5:34:18I may come see you again if she wants
5:34:19more hints, but don't worry. I've
5:34:22prepared plenty of little gifts.
5:34:24Carl informed the older boy with a wink.
5:34:27If you gift like that all the time,
5:34:29there wouldn't be a student here that
5:34:31wouldn't gladly help you.
5:34:33Have a good afternoon, and I will check
5:34:35in with Ray the next time that I see her
5:34:36around.
5:34:38Jonah agreed.
5:34:40Ray gave him a rather cat-like head
5:34:42bump, then vanished back into her space
5:34:44to rest and consider ways to make the
5:34:46bleed effect of the new skill more
5:34:47effective.
5:34:49The training target didn't really bleed,
5:34:51but she could at least get an idea of
5:34:53how it worked based on the self-healing
5:34:54gel.
5:34:56When the skill worked better, the gel
5:34:58took longer to repair itself.
5:35:00Carl was about to leave with the
5:35:02instructors when a boy's voice stopped
5:35:03him.
5:35:05What sort of class did you get that has
5:35:06a massive spider as a partner?
5:35:09Is that like some arachnid specialty
5:35:10druid?
5:35:12The boy asked.
5:35:14No. My class specializes in beasts
5:35:16directly.
5:35:18There are three of them in total, and
5:35:20they're not summoned like most of the
5:35:21druid skills are.
5:35:23These are actual beasts I am raising.
5:35:26Carl explained.
5:35:28Wait. So, that is an actual bloodbath
5:35:30spider?
5:35:32Not just a skill replica, but a real
5:35:34one, and you just taught it lacerate?
5:35:37The boy stammered.
5:35:39More students stopped to stare at the
5:35:41little show while Carl laughed.
5:35:44That's exactly right.
5:35:46But she's really a good girl. There's no
5:35:48reason to worry about how skilled she
5:35:50is.
5:35:51The students looked a bit concerned
5:35:53about Carl's mental health, but it was
5:35:55time for lunch, and that was much more
5:35:57important than an oddball class marking
5:35:59that turned vicious magical beasts into
5:36:01pets.
5:36:02But the lunch break was not really a
5:36:04break for Carl and the trio.
5:36:06The Bureau of Elite Development had
5:36:08flexed their influence and gotten a
5:36:09drake scale potion prepared for the
5:36:11beasts to try, and Rita had scheduled
5:36:13that for their lunch break so that Thor
5:36:15could still go to his afternoon
5:36:17earthquake practice with the berserkers.
5:36:20We can do this in one of the spare
5:36:21classrooms.
5:36:23The effects shouldn't be massive
5:36:24changes, but more of a strengthening of
5:36:26Thor's scales, and if the other two want
5:36:29to try, the effects will likely be even
5:36:31smaller.
5:36:32Rita explained.
5:36:34Well, there is no good reason why we
5:36:36shouldn't at least try.
5:36:38The potion was supposed to be safe,
5:36:40right?
5:36:41If there are no negative side effects,
5:36:44then there is no reason not to give it
5:36:45to everyone and see what sort of
5:36:47benefits they can glean out of it.
5:36:49Carl replied with a shrug.
5:36:52He had never heard of any bad results
5:36:54from a monster eating a beneficial
5:36:55resource, and they would instinctively
5:36:57know if it was something that wouldn't
5:36:59agree with them.
5:37:00Carl fully expected that Hawk would
5:37:02likely turn it down as he didn't like
5:37:04the taste of drake meat, though he liked
5:37:06the smell.
5:37:08But Ray and Thor would likely at least
5:37:10Let's it.
5:37:11But when Rita placed out the vials on
5:37:13the table in the training room, Carl was
5:37:15startled to see that all three had come
5:37:17out to see what the big deal was with
5:37:18this potion.
5:37:20All right, I think that Thor should go
5:37:22first as this potion is most likely to
5:37:24enhance his scales.
5:37:26Carl suggested.
5:37:28Rita held up the vial and Thor opened
5:37:31his mouth with his head tilted back.
5:37:33He had no intentions of tasting a potion
5:37:36made of drakes, but he was willing to
5:37:37trust that it would help him.
5:37:40It smelled like magic, so it should be a
5:37:42good thing even if it was an unfamiliar
5:37:44good thing.
5:37:46As soon as he swallowed the potion,
5:37:48Thor's scale began to glow a little more
5:37:50brightly under the fluorescent lights
5:37:51and a sense of intimidation filled the
5:37:53room as though there was a large
5:37:55predator present.
5:37:57Now, obviously Thor wasn't much of a
5:37:59predator, but the drakes were and their
5:38:01magic was infusing his scales, which
5:38:03were now slightly metallic in their
5:38:05glossy shine.
5:38:07The power faded and Thor rubbed up
5:38:09against Sergeant Rita begging for her to
5:38:11touch his scales.
5:38:13Well, they look shiny and smooth, but
5:38:15they're slightly rough to the touch like
5:38:17a dragon's scales.
5:38:19They're also less flexible than they
5:38:21were, more like metal than hardened
5:38:23leather.
5:38:24We should have taken a sample before and
5:38:26after so we could compare them, but I
5:38:28would say that the process was an
5:38:29outstanding success.
5:38:31Sergeant Rita declared as she petted the
5:38:33happy serow.
5:38:35Alice smiled and joined the short-haired
5:38:37sergeant in petting Thor.
5:38:39Well, now we should choose who goes
5:38:41next.
5:38:43Hawk or Ray?
5:38:44Hawk stepped out of his space eager to
5:38:46get this over with so that he could go
5:38:48back to mentally preparing for his
5:38:50afternoon of harassing the mages.
5:38:52He hadn't done it in days and Carl had
5:38:55promised him that he would get to.
5:38:57Hawk it is.
5:38:59All right, here you go, buddy.
5:39:01Alice laughed as Hawk took the vial in
5:39:04his beak and tipped it back down his
5:39:06throat.
5:39:07The effect was as rapid as it was
5:39:09dramatic.
5:39:10The feathers on Hawk's neck began to
5:39:12change to flaming red as the potion
5:39:14poured down his throat and then the rest
5:39:16of his feathers changed from mottled
5:39:17brown and cream to a brilliant crimson
5:39:19and gold.
5:39:21For a moment, Carl was certain that he
5:39:23could see flames dancing around the wind
5:39:25speed Hawk and then the effect began to
5:39:27fade and his appearance changed back to
5:39:29what it had been before drinking the
5:39:30potion.
5:39:32However, the attempt was not a failure.
5:39:35With a triumphant shriek, Hawk tilted
5:39:37his head back and fired a ball of flame
5:39:40up at the ceiling.
5:39:41That naturally set off the fire
5:39:43sprinklers and they were doused in water
5:39:45drenching the teachers while Carl
5:39:47activated the lightning barrier and Thor
5:39:49rumbled in joy about getting rain on his
5:39:51scales again.
5:39:53Daniel rushed to the door and pulled the
5:39:54emergency stop lever to cut the spray of
5:39:57water while Alice and Rita cursed and
5:39:59wiped the water from their faces.
5:40:02It's a good thing that none of us were
5:40:03wearing makeup today or I would be
5:40:05really upset at the impromptu shower.
5:40:08But congratulations Hawk on gaining a
5:40:10new ability.
5:40:12I am not convinced that the process is
5:40:14complete though.
5:40:15For a moment, it looked like he was
5:40:17going to fully change appearance and
5:40:19become something completely new and not
5:40:21just gain a new skill.
5:40:23Fire breath is impressive, but I think
5:40:25that we can do better.
5:40:27Rita noted as she struggled to stay
5:40:29professional while resisting the urge to
5:40:31strangle the bird for using fire skills
5:40:33indoors.
5:40:35Carl watched as Hawk shook the water out
5:40:37of his feathers and then let out another
5:40:39little puff of flame testing his new
5:40:41skill without setting off the alarm
5:40:43again.
5:40:44Do you think that he just needed more of
5:40:45the potion?
5:40:47Like multiple doses the way that we had
5:40:49to double the dose when I was taking the
5:40:51first round of supplements.
5:40:53I don't feel like any of that potion
5:40:55went to me. It's all him, but I think
5:40:57it's possible that whatever change it
5:40:59was trying to create needs more than
5:41:00just one dose.
5:41:02Carl suggested.
5:41:04Rita nodded.
5:41:06That is possible.
5:41:08We could make another batch so that
5:41:09there is more and then give him as much
5:41:11as he wants until the process is
5:41:13complete.
5:41:14As long as you have more drake scales,
5:41:16that is.
5:41:18Carl smiled.
5:41:20I think I will have enough of them.
5:41:22But for now, we can let Ray try her dose
5:41:25and see what happens.
5:41:27Ray stepped out of the space to stand
5:41:29beside Hawk and inspect him for changes,
5:41:31then carefully took one of the vials
5:41:33between her mandibles and drank it down.
5:41:36This is tasty. I kind of like it.
5:41:39She noted as she swallowed the tonic.
5:41:42But other than that, there was no
5:41:44visible reaction and she wasn't showing
5:41:46any other signs of change.
5:41:48Well, it appears that she likes the
5:41:50flavor, but that's about all that she
5:41:52has to say about it.
5:41:54Thor might get a bit more benefit from a
5:41:56second dose and Hawk almost certainly
5:41:58will, but Ray doesn't seem to be that
5:42:00compatible.
5:42:02Carl noted.
5:42:04That's a shame.
5:42:05But she's been doing well today even
5:42:07without a supplement.
5:42:09I didn't expect her to pick up on a
5:42:11skill as complex as lacerate within a
5:42:13single day.
5:42:14If she had also been compatible with the
5:42:16potion, it might have started to push
5:42:18you close to the ascended rank already
5:42:20and that would cause no end of jealousy
5:42:22among the other students.
5:42:24Rita replied with a laugh.
5:42:26Come to think of it, Carl was feeling a
5:42:28bit more fit these days.
5:42:31It was a small and subtle change, but
5:42:33the beasts were still growing and it was
5:42:35improving his physique.
5:42:37Not as much as theirs was, but certainly
5:42:39more than the minimum amount of training
5:42:41he did would account for.
5:42:43Well, we can save the testing for the
5:42:45end of the semester exams.
5:42:48By then, I think that Thor should be
5:42:50mostly grown and Ray almost certainly
5:42:52will be at her full adult size.
5:42:55Their growth rate is phenomenal, but
5:42:57their bodies will reach full size before
5:42:59they have reached full strength for
5:43:00their species.
5:43:02If anything, I believe that we might not
5:43:04be training hard enough for the
5:43:05accelerated growth rate.
5:43:07Ray should be close to commander rank
5:43:09when she's full grown, right?
5:43:12She's in the ascended rank for combat
5:43:14power now, but I can't say by how much.
5:43:17That's still a huge gap from where her
5:43:19adult combat power would be expected to
5:43:21be, but she's 3/4 grown.
5:43:24Carl explained worried about their
5:43:26progression.
5:43:27Rita and Alice both shook their heads.
5:43:30The growth in power comes just after
5:43:32they have reached full growth.
5:43:35There is a transition from the juvenile
5:43:36growth phase to the adult strengthening
5:43:38phase.
5:43:40Once she stops increasing in size, you
5:43:42will start seeing more power gain.
5:43:45Alice explained.
5:43:47Ray was content with her power as it
5:43:49was.
5:43:50She had all the skills that she needed
5:43:52to tear apart anything she found, she
5:43:54just needed time to master them.
5:43:57The speed that she was growing was only
5:43:58making life difficult for her as it was
5:44:01cutting down the time that she had to
5:44:02practice and master her skills before
5:44:04she reached the next milestone.
5:44:07Carl sensed her annoyance and gently
5:44:08patted her armored foreleg.
5:44:11I'm not trying to rush you, just making
5:44:13sure that I'm taking good care of you.
5:44:16He explained to which Ray rolled her
5:44:18eyes at him.
5:44:19It was a strange gesture with the
5:44:21multiple sets of jet black eyes.
5:44:24It was difficult to tell when they
5:44:25shifted as they were all one color, but
5:44:28the shape seemed to adjust as she did it
5:44:30and there was no doubt what the gesture
5:44:32meant even without reading her mind.
5:44:35All right, let's eat before we go to the
5:44:36next class.
5:44:38Should we drop Thor off first or can you
5:44:40keep up the learning skill from a
5:44:42distance so Hawk can wait for the mages
5:44:44to show up to class?
5:44:46Rita asked.
5:44:48I think that I can do it from a
5:44:49distance, but I learned this morning
5:44:51that it's best for me to use it on both
5:44:53parties so that there is a link.
5:44:55Once I know what else Hawk is keen to
5:44:57learn, I will know which mage I should
5:44:59target.
5:45:00I'm guessing most likely one of the fire
5:45:02mages as he just gained a new fireball
5:45:05ability.
5:45:06The better that he is able to control
5:45:08that, the more versatile the skill will
5:45:10be.
5:45:11Carl suggested.
5:45:13Hawk thought about that with a hint of
5:45:15amusement.
5:45:16The mages could split their fireballs
5:45:18and make them go at different speeds.
5:45:21The water mages would hate it when he
5:45:23showed off that trick.
5:45:25If he had Carl help him learn from the
5:45:26fire mages, then right by the end of
5:45:29class he could show off his new skills
5:45:31and torture the water mages to death
5:45:32with rage.
5:45:34You know, you really need to stop
5:45:36holding a grudge against the water
5:45:37attacks just because they flow around
5:45:39Wren.
5:45:41Carl reminded his feathered partner.
5:45:44Never.
5:45:45I will never forgive the water spells
5:45:47for daring to defeat Wren.
5:45:49Hawk replied resolutely.
5:45:52Carl's smile caught the attention of the
5:45:53others, but he just shook his head and
5:45:55tapped his temple with one finger
5:45:57signaling that it was a conversation in
5:45:59his mind.
5:46:01Rita shrugged not particularly concerned
5:46:03about Carl's inside jokes with the
5:46:05beasts.
5:46:06All right, we will drop off Thor first
5:46:09so that he can practice earthquake and
5:46:11then go over to get Hawk set up to
5:46:12improve his fireball skills using one of
5:46:14the fire mages as an unwitting
5:46:16conspirator.
5:46:18Or a willing one, whichever works for
5:46:20you.
5:46:21Should we find another training spot for
5:46:23Ray?
5:46:24Or is she content to practice where she
5:46:26is?
5:46:27Rita asked.
5:46:29Ray took a swipe in her spot testing the
5:46:31lacerate skill, then frowned and shook
5:46:34her head unsatisfied with the way that
5:46:36it activated.
5:46:38I am fine here.
5:46:40Unless they've got live targets for me.
5:46:43If they do, then I will come out to
5:46:44play.
5:46:46She informed Carl as she tried the skill
5:46:48again.
5:46:49She's fine there for now unless you've
5:46:51got live targets.
5:46:53From what I can tell, practical
5:46:55experience is the best teacher and they
5:46:57can only learn so much in a controlled
5:46:59environment.
5:47:00Carl explained.
5:47:02That's true for everyone.
5:47:05No matter how good they think they are,
5:47:07the new students are always in for a
5:47:08shock when they head out into the real
5:47:10world.
5:47:11We will try to get you another mission
5:47:13soon, possibly one with other awakened
5:47:15rank students instead of having you
5:47:17chaperone the other freshmen.
5:47:19That should give you the enemies that
5:47:21you need as the missions are usually
5:47:23higher risk and they will normally have
5:47:25one ascended rank student with them
5:47:27which reduces the risk if you come
5:47:28across a stronger monster.
5:47:31Rita agreed.
5:47:32Carl smiled.
5:47:34They had already taken out one ascended
5:47:36rank beast, the giant beetle, which he
5:47:39had almost forgotten was still tied up
5:47:40in Ray's web.
5:47:42They will all be happy to hear that.
5:47:45Working together, we should be able to
5:47:47take on most threats that are within the
5:47:48mission parameters for awakened
5:47:50students.
5:47:51The berserkers were overjoyed to see
5:47:53Thor back again after lunch and greeted
5:47:55him with a long round of head rubs and
5:47:57pats that had the lightning sero in full
5:47:59happy puppy mode until the teacher came
5:48:01over to scold them all for not working.
5:48:04Daniel decided to stay and supervise
5:48:06Thor while the others went to see how
5:48:08the mages were doing and Carl let Hawk
5:48:10out of his space to fly around for a bit
5:48:12before meeting with the mages in their
5:48:13corner of the training fields.
5:48:16They all knew the hawk very well and
5:48:18what it meant for their training but the
5:48:20ones working on their shields were
5:48:21relieved to see that Thor had found a
5:48:23new spot to train and that he wasn't
5:48:25planning to exhaust them with his
5:48:26enthusiasm today.
5:48:28Carl could have sent out Ray to tear
5:48:30apart their shields but the students
5:48:32would never be able to keep up with the
5:48:34pure violence of her attacks for long.
5:48:37All that he would accomplish was to
5:48:38terrify the students before their next
5:48:40mission away from the school.
5:48:42If they were afraid that they would run
5:48:44into something like Ray that could tear
5:48:46through shields like butter, they would
5:48:47be much more hesitant to go and good
5:48:50mages were essential to party safety on
5:48:52missions.
5:48:53Letting them train with the warriors was
5:48:55the more humane option.
5:48:57It only took Carl a moment to identify
5:48:59the fire mages among the group and to
5:49:01activate skill master with them included
5:49:03in the targets.
5:49:05He had to hope that it was working as
5:49:07Hawk wasn't actually using any fire
5:49:09based skills as he defended against the
5:49:11attacks but his mind was relaying
5:49:13satisfaction as he observed the way that
5:49:15the fire mages adjusted their spells and
5:49:17how they could use the same skill as
5:49:19both a large fireball and multiple
5:49:21smaller ones.
5:49:22Was he planning to practice his new
5:49:24skill at all?
5:49:26Rita asked as they watched Hawk use
5:49:27nothing but rend to deal with the
5:49:29attacks.
5:49:30He is but he's taking a watch and learn
5:49:33approach until he's satisfied with the
5:49:35amount of understanding he has about
5:49:36fire magic.
5:49:38I'm actually surprised that it was fire
5:49:40magic.
5:49:41He already knows rend, shred and wind
5:49:44shield so I thought if anything he would
5:49:46go for more air magic attacks and not
5:49:48fireballs.
5:49:50Carl replied.
5:49:52That does seem odd.
5:49:54Perhaps it was related to the elemental
5:49:55affinity of the drakes that were used in
5:49:57the potion.
5:49:59If they were descended from a lineage of
5:50:00fire magic users, then it would make
5:50:02sense that the potions would push him
5:50:04toward fire magic.
5:50:06It might explain the change in feather
5:50:08colors as Hawk drank the potion as well.
5:50:11If the fire element was particularly
5:50:13strong, it might have tried to fully
5:50:15convert him from the wind to the fire
5:50:17element.
5:50:18Most magical beasts have an affinity and
5:50:20I've never heard of it changing but then
5:50:22wild beasts don't refine potions so it
5:50:25might not happen in the wild except in
5:50:27very rare cases.
5:50:29Rita pondered.
5:50:30Hawk became more confident in his new
5:50:32comprehension of fire abilities as the
5:50:34class wore on until finally it was time
5:50:37for him to show off his skills to these
5:50:39mages.
5:50:40While his regular attacks went out in a
5:50:42predictable pattern, the water mages
5:50:44delayed their casting and let loose
5:50:46their barrage of ice bullets toward the
5:50:48moving targets.
5:50:50Then a massive fireball flew from Hawk's
5:50:52mouth and the air filled with steam as
5:50:55Hawk laughed in joy.
5:50:57Damn it, did he learn fire magic just to
5:50:59mess with me?
5:51:00What did we ever do to him?
5:51:03I swear that bird has a vendetta against
5:51:05water magic users.
5:51:07One of the mages ranted while Rita and
5:51:09Alice tried and failed to resist the
5:51:12urge to laugh.
5:51:14Carl walked over and gave the boy a
5:51:16compassionate pat on the shoulder.
5:51:18I wish I could say that you are wrong
5:51:20but you're not.
5:51:22Water attacks simply wrap around rend
5:51:24and keep going and it drives Hawk
5:51:26insane.
5:51:27First it was the wind barrier to block
5:51:29them and when that wasn't enough, he
5:51:31took a growth opportunity and refined
5:51:33his progression into a way to completely
5:51:35counter water magic.
5:51:37Carl informed the downtrodden mage.
5:51:40I knew it.
5:51:42I told everyone that he was picking on
5:51:43me but nobody believed me.
5:51:46They said that I just had good aim and
5:51:48that's why Hawk always intercepted my
5:51:50attacks.
5:51:51But he really does have it out for me.
5:51:54The boy complained.
5:51:56Not you in particular.
5:51:58Water magic.
5:52:00His vendetta is against the spell.
5:52:03Carl offered.
5:52:05The nearby mages laughed.
5:52:07That's essentially the same thing since
5:52:09he's only good at one element.
5:52:12Hawk chirped happily but Carl could pick
5:52:14up a bit of taunting in that noise as if
5:52:16asking the mage why he could only use
5:52:18one element when Hawk himself could use
5:52:20two plus rend and shred.
5:52:23The class professor blew his whistle
5:52:25marking the end of the training session
5:52:27and Hawk landed next to Carl proud of
5:52:29himself for mastering his new fireball
5:52:31skills so well in one class.
5:52:34But he had also learned the trick to
5:52:35changing it in form and when the mage
5:52:37glared at Hawk, he nonchalantly tilted
5:52:39his head back and spit three small
5:52:41fireballs into the air that just hung
5:52:43there and hovered before dissipating.
5:52:46The other mages chuckled at the bird
5:52:48showing off and the boy got more
5:52:49sympathetic responses from his
5:52:51classmates.
5:52:53Sorry about your luck, man.
5:52:55But that's definitely one more round in
5:52:57favor of Hawk.
5:52:59Better luck tomorrow but now that he's
5:53:01learned how to vaporize icicles, you're
5:53:03not going to have an easy time of it.
5:53:06One of the earth mages laughed.
5:53:09Doesn't he just swat your attacks out of
5:53:10the sky with rend?
5:53:12The water mage countered.
5:53:14This isn't about me.
5:53:17I have accepted that Hawk is far too
5:53:19good at this training.
5:53:20The earth mage dismissed the talk of his
5:53:22own failures with a smile.
5:53:25Rita whistled to catch everyone's
5:53:26attention.
5:53:28All right, you've all had your fun.
5:53:30Hawk, say goodnight to your friends. It
5:53:33is time to pick up Thor before he
5:53:35harasses the berserkers into insanity.
5:53:38You left the sero with the berserkers.
5:53:40One of the girls asked.
5:53:43He's learning earthquake.
5:53:45He caught on pretty quickly and he's
5:53:47figured out how to activate it by
5:53:48smashing the ground with his tail
5:53:50instead of needing a weapon.
5:53:52Carl explained while the mages quietly
5:53:55laughed at the thought.
5:53:56Rita led him away with Hawk taking to
5:53:59the sky to float around and examine the
5:54:01school grounds and the mages packed up
5:54:03their bags to go back to the dorm for
5:54:05the evening.
5:54:06Rita was exactly right about the
5:54:08situation and when they arrived back at
5:54:10the berserker training ground, they were
5:54:12playing baseball.
5:54:14Or perhaps it was volleyball without a
5:54:16net.
5:54:17Carl wasn't quite certain what the rules
5:54:19were as Thor and a group of barbarians
5:54:21were alternately tossing a ball to be
5:54:23swatted with blunt weapons and bouncing
5:54:25the ball back into the sky after it was
5:54:27hit.
5:54:28The professor supervising them seemed to
5:54:30have given up on understanding what they
5:54:31were doing but the ball appeared to be
5:54:33one of the 10 kg metal training balls
5:54:35from the strength warriors area.
5:54:38Just the fact that they could swat that
5:54:40thing up into the air was impressive
5:54:42even if they were using lower strength
5:54:43activations of their skills.
5:54:46Thor, it's time to go.
5:54:48Come back after the next point.
5:54:50Carl called out and the sero made a
5:54:53happy bugle in return.
5:54:55The next berserker caught the ball and
5:54:57held it instead of continuing the game
5:54:59and smiled at Carl and the ladies.
5:55:02Welcome back.
5:55:03Just repeatedly using earthquake was
5:55:05wearing on the mind so we started a new
5:55:07training game.
5:55:09Thor is incredibly good at it with that
5:55:11lightning over his tail.
5:55:13His aim is impeccable.
5:55:15The berserker explained.
5:55:18Well, as long as you're all having fun.
5:55:21But it's time for dinner.
5:55:23That was the magic word and the
5:55:25berserkers cheered as they went to grab
5:55:27their bags and shirts which had been
5:55:29discarded at the edge of the training
5:55:30grounds.
5:55:32Thor trotted happily back to Carl before
5:55:34vanishing into his space to soak in the
5:55:36pool getting his new and improved scale
5:55:38sparkling clean again.
5:55:40The massive holy stones at the bottom of
5:55:42the pool gave him a gentle aura like
5:55:44fresh laundry and sunshine and Thor
5:55:46wasn't going to miss out on any chance
5:55:48to be clean and relaxed.
5:55:50It was slowly becoming a recognizable
5:55:53part of his presence as the extended
5:55:55naps in the pond imbued every part of
5:55:57his body with the clean scent of holy
5:55:58magic.
5:56:00Carl was relaxing in his room pondering
5:56:02the changes of the last few days and how
5:56:04the progression of the beasts hadn't
5:56:06been quite what he had expected them to
5:56:08be.
5:56:09Somehow with her love of the dark, he
5:56:11had thought that Ray would naturally
5:56:13pick up another stealth skill but from
5:56:15experience, it was the most deadly of
5:56:17attacking skills that she was most in
5:56:19tune with and the stealth aspect of her
5:56:21evolution was only a secondary facet
5:56:23that allowed her to get close enough to
5:56:25her targets to attack.
5:56:27Thor using his tail to create
5:56:28earthquakes hadn't been too far out of
5:56:30expectations as it still activated with
5:56:33lightning energy.
5:56:35But Hawk learning fireballs just so that
5:56:37he could torture the water mages more
5:56:38effectively was completely on brand even
5:56:41if Carl had overlooked it until it
5:56:43happened.
5:56:44The drake scale potion was the dark
5:56:46horse in this progression path.
5:56:48Hawk had reacted so strongly to it that
5:56:50it had to be something that was innately
5:56:52perfect for him.
5:56:54But either they hadn't made quite what
5:56:55he needed or he just needed a larger
5:56:58dose than he had gotten.
5:57:00So while Carl waited, he dug out the
5:57:02books that Rita had given him on
5:57:04resources and started to sort through
5:57:06everything that contained fire energy or
5:57:08drake scales.
5:57:09The first list was incredibly long as
5:57:12fire mages were a well-studied topic,
5:57:14but there were only a few concoctions
5:57:16made with drake scales.
5:57:18The one that they had prepared for the
5:57:20beasts was one.
5:57:21A second one was designed to enhance
5:57:23mana capacity with a particular benefit
5:57:26to clerics and other healing classes,
5:57:28but there was nothing that had been
5:57:29created with the drake scales that was
5:57:31intended to amplify fire magic.
5:57:33They could try the second potion to
5:57:35amplify his mana capacity and make a
5:57:38second dose of the first potion in case
5:57:40it was a quantity issue.
5:57:42But as he was flipping through the book
5:57:44looking for anything that might have
5:57:45been improperly categorized, Carl
5:57:47noticed a bird picture that looked just
5:57:49like Hawk had for those moments before
5:57:51his feathers faded.
5:57:53Dragon Hawk is a commander rank relative
5:57:55of the common wind speed hawk species.
5:57:58While they are believed to be unrelated
5:58:00to any of the dragon species, they are
5:58:02known to have an aptitude for fire magic
5:58:04instead of the rend-based claw attacks
5:58:06of their wind speed kin.
5:58:08That aptitude for fire magic, combined
5:58:11with an immense level of territorial
5:58:13pride, has given them the name dragon
5:58:15hawk.
5:58:16Carl read the blurb a handful of times
5:58:18as he memorized the picture.
5:58:21He was certain now that the textbook was
5:58:23wrong. There was some link between the
5:58:25dragon hawk and the actual dragons.
5:58:27Or at least between them and the drakes.
5:58:30He was definitely going to need more of
5:58:32the potion in both variants so he could
5:58:35see if Hawk could evolve through the use
5:58:36of magical resources.
5:58:39The actual dragon hawk was the size of a
5:58:41normal wind speed hawk, so he would be
5:58:43much larger than the average, but if his
5:58:45potential grew to commander rank, then
5:58:47Hawk should see a rapid growth in power
5:58:49after the process completed.
5:58:51It would be nice if he could contact
5:58:53Rita at night, but she was off duty for
5:58:55the evening and probably not as
5:58:57enthusiastic about being the one to
5:58:59arrange having potions made as Carl was
5:59:01to ask her.
5:59:03All he could do was wait and make
5:59:04detailed notes, including how Hawk had
5:59:07looked during the process and the thesis
5:59:09that he really might stay as a dragon
5:59:11hawk with increased growth potential if
5:59:13he were granted more of the potion.
5:59:16There were many more ingredients to the
5:59:17two concoctions, though the drake scales
5:59:20were the most expensive and rare among
5:59:22them.
5:59:23If he prepared some extras from the
5:59:24strongest of the drakes in Hawk's space,
5:59:26it should be enough to cover for the
5:59:28credits he didn't have to buy the items.
5:59:31The academy was usually pretty good that
5:59:33way as long as the resource was useful
5:59:35to multiple elites.
5:59:37From what Carl could tell, the drake
5:59:39scales were good for both warriors and
5:59:41mages, and even if you were more
5:59:43powerful, it would still have a
5:59:45noticeable effect.
5:59:46If it was proportionate to your current
5:59:48power, it might be better to wait, but
5:59:50Carl couldn't find any notes on that
5:59:52topic in the textbook about resources.
5:59:55Dana came by a few hours after dinner
5:59:58with extra dessert and a bowl of sweet
6:00:00blood for Ray.
6:00:01The spider had already upgraded the
6:00:03hammock in behind the gazebo when she
6:00:05was adapting the space for her growing
6:00:07body, and Dana sighed with relief as she
6:00:09saw the quiet spot.
6:00:11I know it's a bit of an inconvenience
6:00:13for you always having me here, but I
6:00:15want you to know that I appreciate it.
6:00:18She informed Carl with a smile.
6:00:21He shook his head.
6:00:22It's no trouble at all.
6:00:25In fact, I'm happy to have you over.
6:00:28I think that I might have a way to make
6:00:29a useful potion for you as well.
6:00:32There is a variant of the drake scale
6:00:34potion that is for mana growth.
6:00:36The book says it's more for healers and
6:00:38clerics, but it should still do you some
6:00:40good.
6:00:42I think that if I can get enough of it
6:00:43into Hawk, he might evolve into a
6:00:45commander rank variant of the wind speed
6:00:47hawk.
6:00:48Dana stopped what she was doing to stare
6:00:50at him after that announcement.
6:00:52You're saying that Hawk could evolve?
6:00:55Like become a whole new species?
6:00:58She asked.
6:00:59Well, an existing species.
6:01:02The dragon hawk is a subset of the wind
6:01:04speed hawk that is known for fire magic,
6:01:07and when Hawk drank the potion, he
6:01:09looked just like it for a moment before
6:01:10the effect faded.
6:01:12They also grow to commander rank instead
6:01:15of capping out in low awakened, which
6:01:17should help his growth rate continue as
6:01:18smoothly as it has been.
6:01:21Carl explained.
6:01:22Her smile slowly grew.
6:01:25That would be outstanding.
6:01:27Not only for Hawk, but for the others as
6:01:30well.
6:01:31They would all have more growth
6:01:32potential so they could keep working
6:01:34together instead of having someone stuck
6:01:36at their level.
6:01:37But if the potion is meant for healers,
6:01:39why do you think that it's going to be
6:01:41good for me or Hawk?
6:01:43Carl flipped pages until he got to the
6:01:45right one.
6:01:46He was extra aware of Dana pressed
6:01:48against his back as she came to read
6:01:50over his shoulder, but he managed to
6:01:52focus and point out the ingredients.
6:01:54They're all similar to the one to
6:01:56strengthen scales except for these two
6:01:58plants, which are also used in the
6:02:00regular mana growth potions that we've
6:02:02both taken.
6:02:03So, it's more of an expanded version of
6:02:06the same thing than an entirely
6:02:07different concoction, I think.
6:02:10The reason they give it to healers is
6:02:12that refined drake parts contain traces
6:02:14of dragon magic.
6:02:16And holy magic is very compatible with
6:02:18dragon magic.
6:02:20He offered.
6:02:21All right, if you have enough scales.
6:02:24How many did you grab?
6:02:26Dana asked.
6:02:28A whole drake.
6:02:30Carl replied with a smirk.
6:02:32Oh my goddess.
6:02:34How did you grab an entire drake without
6:02:36anyone noticing?
6:02:38There has to be thousands of usable
6:02:40scales on a body that size.
6:02:42I think that everyone in the group would
6:02:44love to have a little cut of that
6:02:45action.
6:02:47We might have been on defense, but we
6:02:49were all there for the fight.
6:02:51Dana replied.
6:02:53Good point.
6:02:54I will give the sergeant the resources
6:02:56in the morning and ask her to make
6:02:58enough for everyone.
6:03:00I will have her make some for your pair
6:03:02from the bureau as well, or they will
6:03:03nag at us until we cave.
6:03:06He agreed.
6:03:08Carl woke up the next morning to
6:03:09laughter and the sound of his name being
6:03:11called.
6:03:12Carl, come over here and wake up Ray.
6:03:15Alice was calling from the balcony.
6:03:18The bloodbath spider was sound asleep,
6:03:20but the approaching mage had triggered
6:03:22her defense response, and she had
6:03:24blocked off the gazebo with silk,
6:03:26trapping her and Dana on the other side
6:03:28where the tutor couldn't wake them up.
6:03:30She had obviously tried to get in at
6:03:32least once before as Carl could see the
6:03:35cut section, which had been patched with
6:03:37a messy weave of web, but she was still
6:03:39on the outside of the gazebo.
6:03:41Ray really isn't a morning person.
6:03:44Carl chuckled as he called the spider
6:03:46into her space where she curled up in
6:03:48her nest and went back to sleep,
6:03:50allowing Alice access to Dana, who had
6:03:52been awakened by the commotion.
6:03:54Just give me a minute to get ready and I
6:03:56will cut my way out.
6:03:58Dana laughed as she realized what was
6:04:00going on.
6:04:02You will actually need help with that
6:04:03unless you have a slicing type spell.
6:04:06It's awakened rank durable silk.
6:04:09You're not going to cut it without a
6:04:11magical tool.
6:04:12Alice laughed.
6:04:14Once Dana was ready and gone with much
6:04:17annoyed muttering from Alice, Carl
6:04:19finished getting ready for the morning
6:04:20and briefed Sergeant Rita on his idea.
6:04:23Here is the paperwork I generated
6:04:25yesterday supporting the hypothesis, and
6:04:28I've got the scales ready whenever you
6:04:29are.
6:04:31If we make both potions in a double dose
6:04:33for Hawk, I think that we can evolve him
6:04:35into a dragon hawk and improve his basic
6:04:37potential to the commander rank.
6:04:40With that, his growth should keep up
6:04:42with Ray and Thor so we won't have an
6:04:43imbalance in the team.
6:04:45The better that they can work together,
6:04:47the more easily we will be able to do
6:04:49the things we need to improve our
6:04:50strength.
6:04:52Carl was very proud of his prepared
6:04:54speech and Sergeant Rita smiled back at
6:04:56him.
6:04:57Well, I'll buy it.
6:04:59But the most important part is that
6:05:01you're willing to donate some of those
6:05:02extra scales for the rest of the team as
6:05:05well as the bureau agents.
6:05:07When the materials come from the
6:05:08academy, they don't have to account for
6:05:10them in their expense reports, and that
6:05:12always makes them happy.
6:05:14Rita joked.
6:05:16Just head off to class and I will get
6:05:18all the potions made.
6:05:20The alchemy teacher will want a cut off
6:05:22the top as well if you want them right
6:05:23away.
6:05:25Rita replied.
6:05:27Carl sighed and took out more drake
6:05:28scales, at least a dozen more than
6:05:30needed.
6:05:32Here, take care of the middle men.
6:05:35The faster everyone can get the potions,
6:05:37the better.
6:05:38But being an elite really is more about
6:05:40who you know than what you know, isn't
6:05:42it?
6:05:43He replied.
6:05:45Sergeant Rita patted him on the back.
6:05:48Welcome to the grown-up world, kid.
6:05:51Everything in life is easier when you
6:05:52know the right people.
6:05:54The alchemy teacher already has a good
6:05:56impression of you after the last batch,
6:05:58so they shouldn't complain about the
6:06:00volume this time or push it off onto
6:06:02students who won't do as good of a job.
6:06:05Just remember in the future, if you
6:06:06don't want to go through the academy's
6:06:08credit exchange, it's best to keep a bit
6:06:10extra or a little something for a tip.
6:06:13Most of the teachers are good sorts, but
6:06:15everyone is motivated by self-interest.
6:06:18Carl nodded.
6:06:20And what sort of self-interest keeps you
6:06:22motivated?
6:06:23Promotions, of course.
6:06:26I might have reached my limits as an
6:06:28ascended warrior, but that doesn't mean
6:06:30that sergeant will be the limits of my
6:06:31military career.
6:06:33If I do a good job this year, they will
6:06:35make me a warrant officer.
6:06:38Big pay raise, better living quarters
6:06:40both here at the academy and on base,
6:06:42and a bit more respect.
6:06:44Rita informed him sincerely.
6:06:47Got it.
6:06:48I won't mess up your chances at
6:06:50promotion.
6:06:51Carl replied with a wink.
6:06:54At this rate, they might send me to
6:06:56officer's school and make me a proper
6:06:58butter bar lieutenant.
6:07:00You see, a lot of a student's progress
6:07:02is attributed to the guidance of their
6:07:04tutors.
6:07:05Carl gave her a confused look at the
6:07:07unfamiliar saying.
6:07:09Oh, the lieutenant's insignia is a
6:07:11golden rectangle. Kind of looks like a
6:07:13stick of butter.
6:07:15Hence, butter bar.
6:07:17She explained, which made him laugh.
6:07:20I never would have thought of it that
6:07:22way.
6:07:23All right, let's get going and see how
6:07:25the kids are doing in their studies.
6:07:27Hawk ignored the fact that he had been
6:07:29called a kid and flew off to join the
6:07:31morning mages again after having trained
6:07:33with the afternoon mages yesterday.
6:07:36Thor was also about to bound out into
6:07:38the open until he realized that they had
6:07:40a long walk to the berserker training
6:07:42area and that was five more minutes he
6:07:44could soak in the pond.
6:07:46You're getting soft just lying around in
6:07:48the pool all day.
6:07:50Carl joked.
6:07:52It's an honest living.
6:07:54Look at it this way. I'm freshly washed
6:07:56and ready to go at any time.
6:07:59Thor suggested.
6:08:01Then go play with the berserkers.
6:08:04I am going to take Ray to find someone
6:08:05who is practicing lacerate.
6:08:08This time, Thor did go running off
6:08:10across the school grounds bugling to
6:08:12catch the attention of a few students
6:08:14from the berserker class who were making
6:08:15their way to training.
6:08:17They waved at the charging lightning
6:08:19sero who happily plowed into them, but
6:08:21turned his head at the last second so he
6:08:23didn't spear anyone.
6:08:25They laughed and gave him belly rubs
6:08:27from the ground, then grabbed his horns
6:08:29to pull themselves back to their feet
6:08:31and continued on the way to training.
6:08:33Rita shook her head at their antics.
6:08:36I swear, they're all on the same mental
6:08:38level.
6:08:40Carl shrugged.
6:08:41They're enjoying life to its fullest.
6:08:44Well, Thor is anyhow.
6:08:47I wonder if we're going to be able to
6:08:48find anyone for Ray to properly train
6:08:50with as lacerate is such a rare skill.
6:08:54Unfortunately for them, when they
6:08:56reached the training area, the warrior
6:08:58that they had first worked with to teach
6:08:59Ray the skill wasn't in and there didn't
6:09:01seem to be anyone else training the same
6:09:03skill, but there were plenty of open
6:09:05training dummies which were good enough
6:09:07for Ray to get some more practical
6:09:08experience on.
6:09:10Not that she minded working alone.
6:09:13If there was no chance of learning
6:09:14advanced skills from the people around
6:09:16her, she was happy to work alone all
6:09:18morning with Carl's skill helping her
6:09:20comprehend what she had already been
6:09:22taught.
6:09:23Why don't you do some training here as
6:09:25well?
6:09:26You need to keep up your own physique
6:09:27and your reflexes in case you are
6:09:29attacked while the team is away fighting
6:09:31another target.
6:09:33We can't let you completely slack off
6:09:35just because your training skill doesn't
6:09:37require any movement on your part.
6:09:40Sergeant Rita suggested.
6:09:42All right.
6:09:43I know both Rand and Shred, so I will
6:09:46grab a training sword and get some work
6:09:47in.
6:09:49Who knows, maybe I can improve them as
6:09:51well as Ray and the others.
6:09:53Carl agreed.
6:09:55He could tell that Ray was laughing at
6:09:57him.
6:09:58There was no way that he was going to
6:09:59keep up with her skill progress,
6:10:01especially with his new ability helping
6:10:03her adapt.
6:10:05But he was welcome to try.
6:10:07After all, they couldn't have him
6:10:09dragging down the team's performance.
6:10:11She might not have found a proper
6:10:13teacher for the day, but there was still
6:10:15some hope that she could learn new
6:10:16techniques to refine her skills.
6:10:19There was a druid working on bleed,
6:10:21which was a supplementary skill that
6:10:23stacked on top of another attack.
6:10:26Lacerate didn't need it as it already
6:10:28caused a bleeding effect, but with Ray
6:10:30working near him, Carl had some hope
6:10:32that she might pick up a tip or two
6:10:34about how to improve her own attacks.
6:10:36It was difficult to tell if it was
6:10:38actually working as Ray already had a
6:10:40good grasp on lacerate thanks to her
6:10:42previous teacher, but her technique was
6:10:44improving as the morning went by and the
6:10:46dummy was showing a marked improvement
6:10:48in the bleeding side effect of the skill
6:10:50along with the base damage.
6:10:52Each flurry of attacks left a bit more
6:10:54bleeding damage than the last one and
6:10:56Ray's confidence in her attack skills
6:10:58was skyrocketing as the hours went by.
6:11:01So, by the time that she retreated into
6:11:04her space for lunch, Carl could say for
6:11:06certain that the lacerate skill had been
6:11:08properly mastered.
6:11:10Carl was sweaty with the exertion of
6:11:11using Shred all morning trying to move
6:11:14the skill damage up toward the
6:11:15borderline for ascended, which would be
6:11:17the next real milestone for his growth,
6:11:19but he still had a long way to go.
6:11:22The beasts were much closer than he was,
6:11:24but even with the slacking on his
6:11:25training, Carl could tell that his
6:11:27physique had still made significant
6:11:29progress.
6:11:30They didn't have to look far to know
6:11:32that Hawk had enjoyed his morning.
6:11:35The mages had already started heading to
6:11:36the cafeteria before they left the
6:11:38training grounds and they were all
6:11:40cursing at the bird for having learned
6:11:42to torture them with fireballs in
6:11:43addition to his rending claw attacks.
6:11:46Thor was equally easy to find, but that
6:11:48was because the berserker training area
6:11:50was outdoors and you could hear the
6:11:52bugling celebrations as Thor competed
6:11:54against his classmates to see who could
6:11:56create the largest sand plume with their
6:11:58earthquake skill.
6:12:00It seemed silly, but focusing the shock
6:12:02waves took a lot of skill and practice.
6:12:05Throwing up a large sand plume wasn't as
6:12:07easy as it sounded. You had to precisely
6:12:09focus the shock waves to get them to
6:12:11concentrate in one single spot.
6:12:14It was the proper way to target a single
6:12:16person with earthquake to knock them to
6:12:18the ground instead of making a whole
6:12:20area shake as a disruption tactic and
6:12:22those who could do it were very proud of
6:12:24their skills.
6:12:26All right, everyone. Time for lunch.
6:12:29We will be back to training in the
6:12:30afternoon.
6:12:32Carl called using the mental link to
6:12:34ensure that the beasts heard him.
6:12:36Fine, we're all hungry anyhow.
6:12:39Thor agreed, but didn't leave until he
6:12:41had a chance to say goodbye to all his
6:12:43classmates individually.
6:12:46Hawk, on the other hand, simply circled
6:12:48the students once, then flew over to
6:12:50Carl and vanished into his space to
6:12:52decide what he wanted out of the piles
6:12:54of meat that he had amassed.
6:12:56The fact that nothing went bad in that
6:12:58space was a blessing.
6:13:00Hawk had the better part of a dozen
6:13:01different meat products in there, both
6:13:03raw and cooked, so that he could pick
6:13:05and choose what he wanted based on his
6:13:07mood.
6:13:08Some could be discarded as nutritious
6:13:10growth options soon unless Carl wanted
6:13:12them for himself like the roast chickens
6:13:14from the cafeteria, but they were all
6:13:16still meat.
6:13:18After lunch, the training was more of
6:13:20the same, but with different partners as
6:13:22the students from the practical morning
6:13:24classes had theory and basic education
6:13:26in the afternoon.
6:13:28Some of the elites didn't focus too much
6:13:30on education beyond their skills, but
6:13:32for the ones who were going to be taking
6:13:34on professional jobs, proper advanced
6:13:36education was a vital part of their
6:13:38academy experience.
6:13:40Carl hadn't really thought about that
6:13:42and while he was doing a lot of
6:13:43studying, it was all on plants, beasts
6:13:46and other relevant topics.
6:13:48There were no physics, advanced
6:13:50literature, social studies or other core
6:13:52subjects in his education.
6:13:55That wasn't entirely uncommon for the
6:13:57golden dragon nation.
6:13:59If you were entering a trade or family
6:14:01industry, you generally would have done
6:14:03it at the same age with only the
6:14:04brightest going on to finish school and
6:14:06go for university education.
6:14:09But at dinner, the complaints of the
6:14:11alchemists about the calculations needed
6:14:13to get the proportions right in their
6:14:14new elixir projects reminded Carl that
6:14:16he had it good with his training
6:14:17regimen.
6:14:19Though his body was tired, at least his
6:14:21brain didn't hurt from trying to work
6:14:23out the change in relative volumes due
6:14:25to differing evaporation rates at a
6:14:26specified temperature.
6:14:28Though the warriors often derided the
6:14:30mages as the nerds of the elite academy,
6:14:33the true nerds were in the alchemy and
6:14:34magical item crafting courses.
6:14:37Look at Carl there. He doesn't need to
6:14:39use math at all.
6:14:41Just feed the hawk, pat the sero.
6:14:44One of the alchemists was complaining.
6:14:47Carl laughed.
6:14:49Hey, I do need math.
6:14:51I use it to calculate where a ranged
6:14:53attack will hit a moving object.
6:14:55The mages laughed bitterly at the
6:14:57reminder as that particular bit of math
6:14:59had become the bane of their existence
6:15:01today as Hawk tormented them with his
6:15:03ever improving skills.
6:15:05If that wasn't conclusive evidence that
6:15:07math was evil, then they didn't know
6:15:09what was.
6:15:11When Carl got back to his dorm room, he
6:15:13found a note on the door informing him
6:15:15that he, along with the rest of the
6:15:17mission team, were being summoned the
6:15:19next morning for a meeting with the
6:15:20alchemy professor.
6:15:22It included an absence note for all
6:15:24classes the next day and a reminder to
6:15:26show up promptly at 9:00 in the morning.
6:15:29That was likely confusing and concerning
6:15:31for the rest of the team, but Carl was
6:15:33more startled that they had managed to
6:15:35get all the potions made in a single day
6:15:37when there was so much more going on
6:15:39around the academy.
6:15:41So, when Carl arrived at the designated
6:15:43meeting point the next morning, he was
6:15:45the only one who wasn't completely
6:15:46confused as Dana was not yet there,
6:15:49probably finishing her morning
6:15:50meditation session.
6:15:52Sergeant Rita addressed the group
6:15:54flanked by Daniel and Alice.
6:15:57Good morning, everyone.
6:15:59I am certain that you can guess by your
6:16:01present company what the criteria for
6:16:02the morning summons was.
6:16:05We have one more student still on her
6:16:06way and once Dana is here, we will be
6:16:09making the official announcement.
6:16:11Ah, there she is.
6:16:14Dana, please take a seat and we will get
6:16:16started.
6:16:17Carl managed to collect some drake
6:16:19scales while you were on your mission
6:16:21together and while just how he obtained
6:16:23them is confidential and not to be
6:16:24spoken of, he did donate a number of
6:16:26them to have potions made for everyone.
6:16:29For the warriors, we have a drake scale
6:16:31potion of durability, which should
6:16:33increase your body's constitution and
6:16:35resistance to damage.
6:16:37For the mages, we have a drake scale
6:16:39potion of insight, which will help you
6:16:41with your mana.
6:16:43These potions are very precious and
6:16:45required a fairly steep bribe to get the
6:16:47alchemy professor to create personally
6:16:49as the regular potion makers are not
6:16:51trained in such a rare concoction.
6:16:54They are not diluted in any way and can
6:16:56be considered peak commander rank potion
6:16:58despite only using high awakened rank
6:17:00ingredients.
6:17:02That was more than enough for all the
6:17:04students to understand just how good of
6:17:05a resource this was going to be.
6:17:08They had all fought against the drakes,
6:17:10but none of them had thought to claim
6:17:11scales as loot.
6:17:13Thankfully for them, Carl had and now
6:17:16they all got to reap the rewards of what
6:17:18they thought was his impartiality.
6:17:20The teams from the Bureau of Elite
6:17:22Development passed out the stoppered
6:17:23vials to all the students who held them
6:17:26with a reverence somewhere between that
6:17:27reserved for infants and live hand
6:17:29grenades.
6:17:30Rita smiled as the last of them was
6:17:32handed to Ray who was hiding in the
6:17:34corner of the room behind all the
6:17:36students.
6:17:37Bottoms up everyone.
6:17:39I am told the taste is a bit awful, but
6:17:42you do not want to accidentally spit it
6:17:43back up.
6:17:45Rita informed them.
6:17:47Carl downed the potion in a single shot
6:17:49knowing that it tasted like burnt meat
6:17:51and blood.
6:17:53She hadn't been lying about it being an
6:17:54awful combination, but he could feel the
6:17:56power flowing into his body with the
6:17:58potion.
6:18:00But Rita wasn't done with him and while
6:18:02the others were recovering from their
6:18:03dosage, she slipped him a second vial
6:18:06which smelled more like campfire and
6:18:07morning breath.
6:18:09Not a better option, but it marked the
6:18:11potion as the other variant.
6:18:13He downed that as well and then watched
6:18:16as the others began to absorb the energy
6:18:18stored in their rewards.
6:18:20The first thing he noticed was that they
6:18:22all had their lucky dragon scale charms
6:18:24around their necks for the occasion and
6:18:25possibly all the time just in case.
6:18:29The second thing he noticed was the way
6:18:31that the warriors were filling out.
6:18:33Being a bunch of 13 and 14 year
6:18:36old kids, depending on when their
6:18:38birthday was, they hadn't arrived as
6:18:40particularly mature male specimens, but
6:18:43most of the warriors were now sporting
6:18:44short but full beards while the lone
6:18:47female warrior in the group looked much
6:18:49more mature and curvaceous in an
6:18:50athletic way than she had a few days
6:18:52earlier.
6:18:53But the major changes weren't restricted
6:18:55to the warriors.
6:18:57Though the mage group hadn't filled out
6:18:59with muscles the way that the warriors
6:19:01had, they had changed.
6:19:03Their appearances seemed a bit more
6:19:05ageless.
6:19:06Less definable as early teens and more
6:19:09of an eternally youthful impression.
6:19:11One in particular had gained slotted
6:19:13eyes like a drake and Carl thought that
6:19:16there was a chance she either gained a
6:19:17new spell or heightened eyesight.
6:19:20Carl was more interested in how his
6:19:21partners had done, but Hawk had gotten
6:19:23distracted by all the people doing
6:19:25strange things and he still hadn't taken
6:19:27his while Ray was hidden in the corner
6:19:29of the room making disgusted faces at
6:19:31the empty vial.
6:19:33Thor's scales were gleaming and had
6:19:35gained a bit more of a golden shimmer in
6:19:37the deep emerald green.
6:19:39If he touched them, Carl knew that they
6:19:41wouldn't be as smooth as they looked.
6:19:44They would be more like drake scales
6:19:46with the surface of a fine grit
6:19:47sandpaper, but from a distance, they
6:19:50sparkled like gems.
6:19:52Then, Hawk remembered that he was
6:19:54supposed to be doing things other than
6:19:55people watching and downed the increased
6:19:57dosage of his potion.
6:19:59The effect began the same as before. His
6:20:02feathers began to turn from mottled
6:20:03brown to a deep red and gold.
6:20:06But this time, his claws turned to a
6:20:08translucent onyx and his beak turned
6:20:10deep bronze while his eyes shifted
6:20:13shades of brown to match.
6:20:15But his feathers weren't changing back.
6:20:18They were getting darker toward the dark
6:20:20auburn of partially dried blood with
6:20:22light golden undertones that would blend
6:20:24in well with the long dry grass of the
6:20:25steps in the south.
6:20:27His size remained unchanged, but Carl
6:20:30could feel the power coming from him as
6:20:32the wind speed Hawk changed and settled
6:20:34into his new form.
6:20:36He would probably be called a dragon
6:20:38Hawk now, but Carl got the feeling that
6:20:40wasn't quite what he was.
6:20:42The color of his feathers wasn't so
6:20:44bright while his beak and claws were the
6:20:46color of an ascended rank wind speed
6:20:48Hawk.
6:20:49Looking good, ladies and gentlemen.
6:20:52Carl congratulated his partners.
6:20:55Most of the people in the room thought
6:20:57that he meant everyone in general which
6:20:58Ray found hilarious.
6:21:01She was not happy about having to try
6:21:02that awful potion again, but the changes
6:21:05in the students were interesting enough
6:21:06that she didn't voice her displeasure
6:21:08yet.
6:21:09The students looked around at the
6:21:11changes in each other.
6:21:13There was no doubt about it. Most of
6:21:14them had left the common rank behind
6:21:16them and they were now firmly into the
6:21:18awakened rank.
6:21:20The warriors had it easy as they could
6:21:22tell by their bodies, but the amount of
6:21:24power that the mages were feeling wasn't
6:21:26fading and after Dana called up a
6:21:28barrier to see the changes in it, the
6:21:30others began to activate spells as well
6:21:32allowing them to informally test the
6:21:34change in their powers.
6:21:36We all owe the alchemy master one for
6:21:38this.
6:21:39Those potions were incredible.
6:21:42For some of us even more than others.
6:21:45One of the warriors announced while
6:21:46staring at Carl.
6:21:48I'm glad you like them. He agreed
6:21:51feeling a bit self-conscious about the
6:21:52attention on himself.
6:21:54Oh, he's not staring because you
6:21:56provided the scales.
6:21:58You should look at yourself in the
6:22:00mirror.
6:22:01Rita laughed.
6:22:03Carl did not have a mirror handy and
6:22:05there were none on the walls of the
6:22:06classroom.
6:22:08Fortunately, nearly half of the people
6:22:10in the room had a compact with them in
6:22:12case their makeup needed a touch-up
6:22:13during the day.
6:22:15Dana passed him one from her backpack
6:22:17and Carl took a good look at himself.
6:22:20Strikingly emerald eyes stared back from
6:22:22his familiar face and his hair had faded
6:22:25from its normally dull and dark crew cut
6:22:27to striking blond locks.
6:22:29He needed a haircut again as it was
6:22:31hanging down in light waves, but the
6:22:33look seemed to be popular with the girls
6:22:35from the team.
6:22:36Unlike the other warriors in the team,
6:22:38he had not grown any sort of beard.
6:22:41In fact, he didn't even seem to have any
6:22:43stubble at all and he hadn't bothered to
6:22:45shave this morning.
6:22:47That was a bit odd, but he had always
6:22:49preferred a clean look and if the change
6:22:51had eliminated his facial hair, he
6:22:53wouldn't be particularly heartbroken.
6:22:56Your eyes are the color of my scales.
6:22:59Thor noted.
6:23:01And his hair is the color of the gold in
6:23:03my feathers.
6:23:04Hawk agreed.
6:23:06You made me drink nasty tasting stuff
6:23:08again.
6:23:09Ray complained finally unable to hold
6:23:12back her grievances.
6:23:14Sorry, Ray.
6:23:16We did hope that it might still have
6:23:18some benefit to you even if it tasted
6:23:20awful.
6:23:21Hawk was perched on a desk while Rita
6:23:23examined the changes in his feathers as
6:23:26well as making notes about the changes
6:23:27to his claws and beak which were more in
6:23:29line with the known data on the wind
6:23:31speed Hawk.
6:23:33There was going to be an intense
6:23:34discussion among the administrators
6:23:36about whether he was a new species, Carl
6:23:38was certain.
6:23:39But with the additional skills and now
6:23:41this massive change, there was no doubt
6:23:43that the combination of resources and
6:23:45Carl's abilities had allowed Hawk to
6:23:47completely surpass his racial limits.
6:23:50Or perhaps they wouldn't see it that way
6:23:52until he reached commander rank and
6:23:53really became the strongest wind speed
6:23:55Hawk in history, but he should be well
6:23:57on his way there now.
6:23:59Alice wrapped her knuckles on a desk to
6:24:01get everyone's attention.
6:24:03All right, you can all go to class and
6:24:05test out your new and improved skills.
6:24:08Remember, you cannot tell anyone about
6:24:10the origin of the drake scales, but you
6:24:12can tell them that a resource your team
6:24:14gathered was made into a potion for you
6:24:16all today.
6:24:18The students cheered and many pulled
6:24:20Carl, Thor, or one of the tutors into a
6:24:22celebratory hug before they ran off to
6:24:24class leaving just Carl and Dana with
6:24:27four bureau agents and Sergeant Rita.
6:24:30I suspect that you two likely got the
6:24:31most benefit out of this potion.
6:24:34It's obvious why Carl would have
6:24:36especially in his appearance.
6:24:38But Dana, I can sense that you gained
6:24:40something special as well.
6:24:43Jill, her mage tutor, commented.
6:24:46Dana smiled and took out the holy weapon
6:24:48that she had gotten from the church.
6:24:51It was now glowing with energy and not
6:24:53just inert.
6:24:54The potion helped me, of course, but it
6:24:57also allowed me to fully attune to my
6:24:59casting focus.
6:25:01It's intended to add a bit of holy magic
6:25:03to every spell that I cast and as holy
6:25:05magic is from the world dragon, at least
6:25:07in part, the drake scale potion appears
6:25:10to have made me more compatible with it.
6:25:12Now, I don't need to focus to use it. It
6:25:15will naturally channel spells for me and
6:25:17it is bonded with me in the same way
6:25:19that the relic weapons the others
6:25:20received in the trial instance were.
6:25:23She explained then made the golden
6:25:25scepter disappear then reappear in her
6:25:27hands.
6:25:29Alice smiled.
6:25:30Now that is impressive.
6:25:33Carl got lucky with his gift being a
6:25:34bracelet that he can wear all the time,
6:25:37but having to carry that around with you
6:25:38everywhere would have become
6:25:39inconvenient once you were outside the
6:25:41academy.
6:25:42Speaking of which, you two will be
6:25:44headed out again very soon.
6:25:47We want to see how Carl's team is doing
6:25:49as there is a chance that they have
6:25:50reached the ascended rank in at least
6:25:52attack power.
6:25:54I know that Thor is a bit behind on
6:25:56offense, but his scales have gained a
6:25:57lot of durability, so we will have to
6:25:59test him for the level of his physique
6:26:01if that is permissible.
6:26:03She can admire my scales all day if
6:26:06she'd like.
6:26:07Thor thought.
6:26:09I think it means to try to destroy them
6:26:11or hit you with an attack and see how
6:26:13durable you really are.
6:26:15Carl reminded him.
6:26:17Oh.
6:26:18Well, I suppose that could be allowed.
6:26:21I would like to know how tough I am,
6:26:23too.
6:26:24I feel pretty tough.
6:26:26Thor replied hesitantly.
6:26:29Carl nodded to the team.
6:26:31I think that we can arrange something.
6:26:34The other two are not durable sorts, but
6:26:36their attack power is pretty well
6:26:38recognized.
6:26:39But for Thor, it would be best to know
6:26:41what his limits are going to be before
6:26:43we get into actual danger.
6:26:45Sergeant Rita frowned then nodded in
6:26:47agreement.
6:26:49It needed to be done, even if she would
6:26:51rather not have someone attack Thor.
6:26:54All right, we will take care of that
6:26:55this morning before heading to class.
6:26:58I'm sure that Hawk is eager to test his
6:27:00new powers against the attacks of the
6:27:02mages.
6:27:03She suggested.
6:27:05Now she was speaking his language.
6:27:08Hawk couldn't think of many things that
6:27:09he would rather be doing.
6:27:12Their first stop was the warrior
6:27:13training grounds, where the academy had
6:27:15a wide variety of training implements,
6:27:17including test weapons with impact
6:27:19sensors on them to more accurately gauge
6:27:21the force put into attacks.
6:27:24That was part of how they tested the
6:27:25defenses of the warrior classes, and
6:27:27that was how they would test Thor's
6:27:29improvements today.
6:27:31Rita addressed Thor directly.
6:27:33All right, we will be using a training
6:27:35sword with a damage meter on it.
6:27:38I will be swinging it, and my strength
6:27:40is at the ascended level.
6:27:42The first test will be just against your
6:27:44scales, without scales, to test your
6:27:46basic durability.
6:27:48Thor nodded his understanding, then
6:27:50puffed up his chest to show his
6:27:52readiness.
6:27:53The strange sight brought a number of
6:27:55the warriors over, along with the
6:27:57professor, who had his clipboard at the
6:27:59ready, so he could record the numeric
6:28:01results of Thor's tests.
6:28:03I hope you don't have performance
6:28:04anxiety.
6:28:06Alice joked as Rita prepared to begin
6:28:08the testing.
6:28:09Thor bugled happily, and the mage
6:28:11laughed.
6:28:13Of course, he didn't.
6:28:15The lightning sero had whatever the
6:28:17opposite of performance anxiety was.
6:28:20Thor focused, and Rita slammed the
6:28:22training sword into his side, making the
6:28:24warriors flinch in anticipation.
6:28:27But the weapon hit the scales with a
6:28:28grating screech, and sparks flew as the
6:28:30blade was dragged across the rough
6:28:32surface scales.
6:28:34410 points of force.
6:28:37Rita informed the other teacher.
6:28:40That was near the middle of awakened
6:28:41rank attacking strength, and Rita
6:28:43prepared to attack again, as it was that
6:28:46the first one did no harm to the heavily
6:28:48armored sero.
6:28:50With a crack and whistle of displaced
6:28:51air, the blade whipped through the air
6:28:53again, sending up a glorious shower of
6:28:55sparks as blunted steel met rough
6:28:57scales.
6:28:59This time the attack rocked Thor to the
6:29:01side, and he almost stumbled before
6:29:03catching his balance, but he didn't give
6:29:05any sign of pain past a low grunt.
6:29:08698 points.
6:29:11I didn't think you had it in you,
6:29:12sergeant.
6:29:14The other professor noted as he read the
6:29:16display from the training weapon.
6:29:18600 was the cut-off for ascended rank
6:29:20physical power without a skill attached,
6:29:23but it would take 1,200 to break a low
6:29:24ascended rank barrier in one shot.
6:29:27All right, I'm ready.
6:29:29Thor, bring your barrier up, and I will
6:29:32attack with slash.
6:29:34Rita informed him.
6:29:36The students looked much more nervous
6:29:38now.
6:29:39The training sword was dull, so unless
6:29:41it broke bones, it would only leave a
6:29:43bruise.
6:29:45But slash could cut through steel even
6:29:47if you attached the attack to a stick.
6:29:50Thor brought up his lightning, and Rita
6:29:52prepared her attack before the other
6:29:53professor stopped her.
6:29:55Wait, I need to set up the measuring
6:29:57devices.
6:29:59That sword won't measure the impact of
6:30:01your skill properly.
6:30:03Give me a second.
6:30:05The other teacher complained.
6:30:07The sensor was an energy meter of some
6:30:09sort, an enchanted item that attached to
6:30:11the hilt of the sword and read the
6:30:12energy signature of the attack to guess
6:30:14the power based on the output that
6:30:16flowed over it.
6:30:17The actual damage could vary by the
6:30:19skill, but the slash skill was well
6:30:21known, and they had a proper data set
6:30:23for it at all basic power levels.
6:30:26All right, go when you're ready.
6:30:29He announced once the tools were set up.
6:30:32The blade arced down at the
6:30:33lightning-covered sero, while the
6:30:35students watched in horror.
6:30:37The lightning seemed to wrap around the
6:30:39energy of the slash attack for an
6:30:40instant, before being pushed away like a
6:30:43stone tossed into shallow water.
6:30:46The light of the blade dimmed as the
6:30:47lightning barrier was dispersed over the
6:30:49area, and a terrible noise, like
6:30:51fingernails on a chalkboard, screeched
6:30:53in the air before a metallic snap marked
6:30:55the end of the attack.
6:30:57The blade lay in two pieces, and there
6:30:59was a shallow scratch on Thor's scales,
6:31:02but it was already beginning to fade as
6:31:03the lightning pushed back over the
6:31:05breach.
6:31:06Combined attack, 1,341 points.
6:31:10The lightning barrier was dispersed by
6:31:12the attack, indicating that it is still
6:31:14in the high awakened rank, but the total
6:31:16defense of the lightning sero known as
6:31:18Thor is confirmed to be above the
6:31:19threshold for ascended rank.
6:31:22The warrior class teacher informed them.
6:31:25Thor trumpeted in victory, singing a
6:31:27short tune with his voice that sounded
6:31:29almost exactly like the military brass
6:31:31band.
6:31:32The warrior instructor looked over the
6:31:34scratch on Thor's side, which had hardly
6:31:36cut through a third of a scale and
6:31:38hadn't touched the thicker section, or
6:31:40the harder core of the defensive
6:31:41plating.
6:31:43Impressive.
6:31:44I am fairly certain that he could take
6:31:46that strike to his side even without his
6:31:48lightning barrier.
6:31:50If it was the harder armor of his
6:31:51protective ridge or his horns, it is
6:31:54doubtful that the attack would have much
6:31:55of an effect at all.
6:31:57He informed the gathered students.
6:32:00Most of the students sighed at the
6:32:01information that the sero was fully
6:32:03capable of beating them to a pulp.
6:32:06His barrier was also his attack skill,
6:32:08and if it was at the upper awakened
6:32:09rank, then it was stronger than any
6:32:11defensive skills that they had, while
6:32:13they would be completely incapable of
6:32:15injuring him.
6:32:16Are we going to test the others before
6:32:18they go to their training?
6:32:20Daniel asked after giving Thor a
6:32:22friendly pat on the head ridge.
6:32:24We might as well.
6:32:26Do you have the defensive barriers for
6:32:28the ranged attack skills with you?
6:32:30Rita asked the warrior class teacher.
6:32:33Of course.
6:32:35They live in the storage unit right
6:32:36there.
6:32:38Do you want me to get them set up?
6:32:40I thought we had already determined
6:32:41Thor's ability.
6:32:43He replied.
6:32:45We've still got to test Ray and Hawk's
6:32:47attack skills.
6:32:49We know they're not the most durable of
6:32:50monsters, and neither knows a
6:32:52comprehensive defensive ability, but
6:32:54their attack skills have been growing at
6:32:56a phenomenal rate.
6:32:58Rita explained.
6:33:00The students started to get excited.
6:33:02They got to see Hawk in action all the
6:33:04time, when he was messing with the mages
6:33:06on the other side of the training
6:33:07grounds, but very few had seen Ray at
6:33:10all, much less having seen her using her
6:33:12skills.
6:33:14The teacher tasked the group to bring
6:33:15out the official testing gear, and gave
6:33:17a sad look at the broken training sword.
6:33:20Those are supposed to hold up to
6:33:22ascended rank attacks. I guess they do
6:33:24have an expiration date.
6:33:26He sighed.
6:33:28Rita shook her head.
6:33:30I think it was the vibration from
6:33:31scraping over the scales that caused the
6:33:33failure. The sword was vibrating like a
6:33:35tuning fork in my hands when I made
6:33:37contact, and that is likely what
6:33:39shattered the blade.
6:33:41The teacher made a note and smiled.
6:33:43Now that is an interesting side effect.
6:33:46Thor, do you mind if I test something?
6:33:49Thor made a gesture that everyone took
6:33:51as a shrug, and the teacher took out a
6:33:53long metal staff.
6:33:55He simply set it on Thor's back once the
6:33:57sero took down the lightning barrier,
6:33:59and then rapidly pulled it toward
6:34:01himself.
6:34:02The same screech filled the air, but at
6:34:04a slightly different tone that sounded
6:34:06much more like an angle grinder on plate
6:34:08steel.
6:34:10Sparks showered the area, and Carl
6:34:12watched as the staff vibrated in the
6:34:14teacher's hand.
6:34:16Then he turned the formerly round object
6:34:17over, and gave an impressed whistle as
6:34:20he viewed the flat underside.
6:34:22Then the took out a small bag and
6:34:24gathered the metal filings from Thor's
6:34:26scales, and went back to taking notes.
6:34:29That is incredible.
6:34:30The scales are harder than the chromoly
6:34:32alloy that we use for weapons, and the
6:34:35rough surface shreds them like a
6:34:36grinder.
6:34:38I am a commander rank warrior from the
6:34:39second-year batch, and even I have
6:34:41rarely seen such an effective tool.
6:34:44He informed the group.
6:34:46That would make him about 24, Carl
6:34:48noted.
6:34:50He looked older, but not by much, and
6:34:52Carl should have realized that he was
6:34:54one of the divine injection elites.
6:34:57But somehow, his mind kept associating
6:34:59the teachers with the rare magical
6:35:01warriors and mages that came before the
6:35:03injections.
6:35:04All right, now that my curiosity is
6:35:06sated, let's call out Ray and Hawk to
6:35:08see what they can do.
6:35:10Is a simple attack on our sensor plate
6:35:12enough for them, or should we get out
6:35:14some fancier targets?
6:35:16The teacher asked.
6:35:18Rita gave Carl a look that said to be
6:35:20happy with the official testing plates,
6:35:22and not to get the urge to show off.
6:35:24But she was way behind, and both Hawk
6:35:27and Ray were already thinking of ways
6:35:29that they could upstage Thor and look
6:35:30more impressive for the crowd.
6:35:33Carl smiled at Sergeant Rita.
6:35:36Well, Ray does specialize in bleeding
6:35:38attacks, so perhaps it's better to have
6:35:40the dummy that shows off the bleed
6:35:41effect.
6:35:43But if there isn't one nearby, we can
6:35:45use the regular plating.
6:35:47Rita sighed, and the warrior class
6:35:49professor shook his head.
6:35:51We don't have one here.
6:35:53There are only a few in the indoor
6:35:55training area.
6:35:56So we will have to just test the actual
6:35:58attack power, and then note the
6:36:00additional bleeding afterwards.
6:36:02What skill does she know that causes
6:36:04bleeding?
6:36:05Carl smirked, and Daniel answered the
6:36:07question for him.
6:36:09She learned to use lacerate after seeing
6:36:11one of the senior year students using it
6:36:13in training.
6:36:15The bleeding damage will be significant,
6:36:17but I think that the damage to the
6:36:18training plates should be enough to show
6:36:20off her destructive nature.
6:36:22Then Alice perked up and raised her
6:36:24hand.
6:36:25I have an idea.
6:36:27Do we still have one of those dummy
6:36:29training vehicles for the artillery
6:36:30mages?
6:36:32We can let her shred an armored car.
6:36:35Just put different plates on each zone,
6:36:37and see how long she takes to get
6:36:38through.
6:36:40Terrifying the students with a giant
6:36:41spider tearing apart an armored car was
6:36:43what Rita was trying to avoid, but both
6:36:45the warrior class professor and the
6:36:47students seemed even more enthusiastic
6:36:49about the idea of an Alice was, and a
6:36:51pair were sent to pull the dummy vehicle
6:36:53over.
6:36:54It is already set up with three grades
6:36:56of plating for the upcoming exams.
6:36:59I won't tell Ray which are which, but
6:37:01she should be able to tell once she
6:37:03starts.
6:37:04The warrior explained.
6:37:07The vehicle was just a shell with
6:37:08detachable plates and didn't quite look
6:37:11like a functional vehicle, but it was
6:37:12close enough for the purposes of
6:37:14training and they had even put a test
6:37:16mannequin in the driver's seat.
6:37:18The vehicle was blocked in place with
6:37:20tire chocks and the teacher gestured
6:37:22toward it.
6:37:23If you can call Ray out, we will be able
6:37:25to test impact force from the sensors on
6:37:27the back of the plates and cutting force
6:37:30from the damage done to the plates
6:37:31themselves.
6:37:33Hawk thought that sounded pretty good as
6:37:34well.
6:37:36He wouldn't mind chopping up an armored
6:37:37vehicle, so he would go after Ray and
6:37:40finish off the damaged target.
6:37:42Don't destroy it too badly.
6:37:45The chassis needs to be reused for the
6:37:47testing of others.
6:37:48We will have to let them replace the
6:37:50plates or find another target before you
6:37:52can play with it.
6:37:53Carl warned him.
6:37:55You're no fun.
6:37:57Why does everyone else get to show off?
6:38:00Hawk complained.
6:38:02You will get your turn, just probably
6:38:04not to turn the armored car into scrap
6:38:06since the warrior still need that one.
6:38:09Carl tried to calm him.
6:38:11I won't forget.
6:38:13If I can't eat the target, it should at
6:38:15least be fun.
6:38:16Ray faded from her normal matte black
6:38:18with red lower legs to the modeled green
6:38:20and brown of the armored car, matching
6:38:22herself to the camouflage pattern on the
6:38:24vehicle.
6:38:26The effect made the students smile, but
6:38:28when the teacher gave her the nod of
6:38:29readiness and Ray launched herself at
6:38:32it, tearing the hood off immediately and
6:38:34discarding it to punch an armored
6:38:35foreleg through the windshield and bite
6:38:37a chunk of roof plating off, the
6:38:39amusement turned to horror.
6:38:41Within seconds, most of the plating was
6:38:43destroyed, the doors had been torn off
6:38:45their hinges, and even the ascended rank
6:38:47plating was dented and bent far enough
6:38:49for her to tear it off the vehicle.
6:38:51Ray hopped off the armored car with the
6:38:53driver dummy in her mandibles as a sign
6:38:56of victory and the students cheered.
6:38:58That was insane.
6:39:00I used to have a cat that went crazy
6:39:02when the food was brought out.
6:39:04This was a bit like that, except Ray
6:39:07actually peeled the can open to get to
6:39:08the food inside.
6:39:10One of the warriors noted.
6:39:13One of the others shuddered.
6:39:15That wasn't a mental image that I
6:39:16needed.
6:39:18Did you know that spiders usually eat
6:39:19their prey alive?
6:39:21Ray nodded happily and a number of the
6:39:23other students backed away.
6:39:26It's their instinct.
6:39:28Fresh food is best and you can't get any
6:39:30more fresh than that.
6:39:32Carl explained.
6:39:34And if you start while they're alive,
6:39:36they will sing for you as you eat.
6:39:38Ray added.
6:39:40I'm not telling them that.
6:39:42The warrior class teacher gave a rueful
6:39:44look at the mangled vehicle.
6:39:47Some of those armor plates weighed over
6:39:48100 kilos and they had been tossed
6:39:50around like bits of tin as Ray looked
6:39:52for the best way into the vehicle.
6:39:55Maximum combined attack power is exactly
6:39:571,500 points.
6:40:00That is well into ascended rank attack
6:40:02power.
6:40:03I did notice that the attack force
6:40:05increased as the assault went on.
6:40:07Does she need time to build up her
6:40:09attack power?
6:40:10The teacher asked after a moment to
6:40:12check the numbers.
6:40:14Only the first time.
6:40:16One of her skills is adaptive, so after
6:40:18she has learned the most effective way
6:40:20to destroy a target, she won't have to
6:40:22do it again.
6:40:24But this is the first time she has faced
6:40:26an armored car.
6:40:27Carl explained.
6:40:29So, we just taught her to tear apart an
6:40:32armored car and the next time she does,
6:40:34she will start where she finished this
6:40:35time.
6:40:37The professor asked.
6:40:39In response, Ray shot out one armored
6:40:41forelimb and the whole vehicle rocked up
6:40:43on two wheels as she punched a hole in
6:40:45one of the remaining plates.
6:40:48I will take that as a yes.
6:40:501,453
6:40:52points.
6:40:53The warrior laughed.
6:40:55Then the professor turned to the crowd.
6:40:58Can anyone suggest a more effective
6:41:00method of getting the driver out of the
6:41:01vehicle?
6:41:03Thor flicked his head and stomped his
6:41:04feet, earning a pat from the teacher.
6:41:07That is one way.
6:41:09If you flip it over and attack from the
6:41:11other side, you can get in more easily
6:41:13as the floor pan is only one plate.
6:41:16He agreed.
6:41:18Or you could start with cutting the
6:41:19hinges and pulling the door off instead
6:41:21of destroying the armor.
6:41:23One of the students asked.
6:41:26That's another possibility.
6:41:28Hawk exited the space and took flight
6:41:30overhead, then sprayed a plume of flame
6:41:32at the vehicle, letting it stop short of
6:41:34actually making contact as Carl had told
6:41:37him not to destroy it.
6:41:39The teacher shook his head.
6:41:41Well, I suppose that is right as well.
6:41:44If you set the car on fire, he will come
6:41:46out of his own free will.
6:41:48One of the warriors in this group had
6:41:50been with Carl on the away mission and
6:41:52he took out the flaming sword he had
6:41:54gotten as a reward.
6:41:55That would do it, but first you need to
6:41:57penetrate the vehicle unless you're
6:41:59going to attack the fuel tank through
6:42:01its armor plating.
6:42:03The teacher reminded him.
6:42:05One of the warriors walked over to the
6:42:07armored car and pulled up the front.
6:42:09Even with half the plates laying on the
6:42:11ground around the vehicle, he still
6:42:13couldn't lift it.
6:42:15Can even Thor flip this thing at a dead
6:42:16stop?
6:42:18He asked.
6:42:19Thor put his upper pair of horns under
6:42:21the floor and lifted it until the wheels
6:42:23came off the ground, then stepped back.
6:42:27Point taken.
6:42:28Warrior strength and monster strength
6:42:30are not the same thing.
6:42:32Alice waited for the boy to step back
6:42:34and then cast layer barriers over the
6:42:36armored car.
6:42:38Hawk, how about we see how long it takes
6:42:40you to get to the car?
6:42:42Some of the sensors are still set up to
6:42:44record your attack power, so you can
6:42:46show off for us.
6:42:48The petite mage suggested.
6:42:50Hawk crowed and seemed to shimmer in the
6:42:53air as if surrounded by immense heat.
6:42:55Then, shred smashed through the first
6:42:58three layers of barrier in a single
6:43:00volley and another barrage was close
6:43:02behind it.
6:43:03The fourth and fifth barriers went down
6:43:05as Hawk dove and spit out a fireball
6:43:07that engulfed the area, taking out the
6:43:09sixth barrier with ease.
6:43:12The seventh was covered in flames from
6:43:13the attack and when Hawk hit it with a
6:43:15twin barrage of rend, the barrier broke
6:43:18and the last of the six rend slashes hit
6:43:20the truck.
6:43:21Top attack power recorded as 1,290.
6:43:25Ascended rank energy and from the damage
6:43:27to the barriers, I will say that it was
6:43:29comfortably over the ascended rank
6:43:31combined attack power.
6:43:33The warrior's professor noted.
6:43:35It was.
6:43:37The multiple ascended rank attacks at
6:43:39once are truly impressive in their total
6:43:41output.
6:43:42Alice agreed.
6:43:44Then Alice let out a stream of water
6:43:46that put out the burning grass and Hawk
6:43:48cast her a suspicious look.
6:43:51Oh, don't glare at me like that.
6:43:53I'm a wind mage. I just happen to know
6:43:56both basic water and fire spells.
6:43:59She informed the bird.
6:44:01Hawk grumbled as he continued to fly,
6:44:03then glided over to where the mages were
6:44:05practicing to take out his annoyance on
6:44:07the water mages in that class.
6:44:09Inside joke.
6:44:11The warrior professor asked.
6:44:14Hawk has a vendetta against water magic
6:44:16for flowing around rend attacks.
6:44:19Carl explained to the warrior's teacher.
6:44:22He's a unique one for sure.
6:44:25But it looks like he has the tools to
6:44:26deal with them now.
6:44:28All right, everyone, enough gawking.
6:44:31Get back to work. You're already behind
6:44:33the friendly Sero and you're not going
6:44:35to catch up without hard work.
6:44:38The professor insisted, chasing his
6:44:40students back to their training
6:44:41stations.
6:44:43Carl gestured toward the Berserker area.
6:44:46Thor, you can go practice earthquake as
6:44:48well.
6:44:49We will work on a plan to build up your
6:44:51lightning soon. Don't worry about it and
6:44:53just keep working on your skills.
6:44:56One of the students frowned at them as
6:44:57Carl sent the other two pets away.
6:45:00If you say that Ray will be testing our
6:45:02guard skills, I am going to suffer a
6:45:04sudden illness that requires me to
6:45:06recover in my room for the day.
6:45:08He insisted.
6:45:10Carl laughed at the horror of the
6:45:12warriors, thinking that they would have
6:45:14to face Ray in combat.
6:45:16These were all first-year students.
6:45:18There wasn't even a faint possibility
6:45:20that they would be able to deal with
6:45:21that sort of attack.
6:45:23Even if offensive optimization wasn't a
6:45:25passive effect, they wouldn't stand a
6:45:27chance against her strength and Ray
6:45:29wasn't one of the more physically
6:45:30overwhelming monsters.
6:45:32Rita shook her head.
6:45:34No, we won't do that to you.
6:45:37Ray is going to practice her bleed
6:45:39effect optimization and then we have to
6:45:41prepare Carl for an away trip.
6:45:43Only one of the students here knew that
6:45:45Carl had just gotten back from a trip
6:45:47and he was more than a little jealous.
6:45:50But as strong as the pets were now, he
6:45:52would probably be heading out with an
6:45:54ascended rank group to try to solidify
6:45:56his gains and get himself recognized as
6:45:58an ascended elite during the end of the
6:45:59semester exams.
6:46:01The speed of his growth was far beyond
6:46:03what anyone would call reasonable and
6:46:05even the speed of his pets' growth was
6:46:07crazy.
6:46:08The wind speed Hawk wasn't full grown
6:46:10for over a year and the lightning Sero
6:46:13shouldn't be full grown until 3 years
6:46:14old, but Thor was most of the way there
6:46:16already.
6:46:18He actually had far less than Ray to
6:46:20improve until he reached his expected
6:46:22maximum power now that his body had
6:46:24received such a significant gain from
6:46:26the Drake scale potions and he was well
6:46:28over half grown already.
6:46:30Ray was closer to her adult size, but
6:46:33fortunately for the armored car, not so
6:46:35close to her maximum strength.
6:46:38Finding a resource that would allow her
6:46:39to increase her power would be a
6:46:41difficult task, but Carl was certain
6:46:43that at some point they would find
6:46:44something that she simply must have.
6:46:47It had been that way with the others.
6:46:50When they found the best resources for
6:46:51their growth, they knew it.
6:46:54So, he just had to keep looking and they
6:46:56would find a way to help Ray break
6:46:58through her limits once she reached
6:46:59them.
6:47:01Rita led the group away from the warrior
6:47:02training and Ray returned to her web to
6:47:05have a little nap and dream of tearing
6:47:06apart armored vehicles.
6:47:09The two bureau agents were a bit too
6:47:11relaxed right now and they couldn't have
6:47:12known about the actual attack power of
6:47:14the pets, so Carl assumed that it was a
6:47:16front for the eagerness to tell him
6:47:18something.
6:47:19They were all excellent at hiding their
6:47:21emotions, but the fact that they were
6:47:23doing it when there was no obvious
6:47:25reason for them to be doing it was also
6:47:26a tell in that it let Carl know that
6:47:28there was something that he was missing.
6:47:31Rita led them to a classroom where the
6:47:33remainder of the Bureau of Elite
6:47:34Development Team was already waiting
6:47:36along with Dana and two older soldiers
6:47:38that Carl didn't know.
6:47:40Colonel Valerie addressed the group.
6:47:43Good, the last of our people are here.
6:47:46I have been made aware that there was a
6:47:47need for some practical experience, so I
6:47:50have arranged another mission for you,
6:47:51too.
6:47:53There are constant monster problems in
6:47:54the Golden Dragon Nation. That's no
6:47:56secret to anyone.
6:47:58But now that you are both on the
6:48:00stronger side of awakened as elites, the
6:48:02defense against those monster attacks
6:48:04are part of your responsibilities.
6:48:06Normally, the students only get to apply
6:48:09for a lottery to deal with issues in
6:48:10this immediate region, but we have
6:48:12noticed a larger issue further from the
6:48:14major population centers.
6:48:16It is our suspicion that there is an
6:48:18overloaded dungeon or an active portal
6:48:20somewhere in the region and we haven't
6:48:22found it yet.
6:48:23So, someone needs to deal with the
6:48:26overflow of monsters that are appearing
6:48:27every day and the regular duty soldiers
6:48:30would greatly appreciate a short leave.
6:48:33With that in mind, we have volunteered
6:48:35you two as well as a combined team of
6:48:37professional exterminators and a team
6:48:39from the church to fill in for them.
6:48:42Carl was speechless.
6:48:44There were monsters just appearing every
6:48:46single day.
6:48:47What sort of insane scenario was that?
6:48:50But when he thought about it for a
6:48:51while, the elites had been constantly
6:48:54killing monsters for a decade and the
6:48:56army had been killing them even longer
6:48:57than that while their numbers never
6:48:59really went down.
6:49:01Most of the continent was wilderness.
6:49:03That was undeniable, but the monsters
6:49:05shouldn't have been breeding fast enough
6:49:07to remain an issue.
6:49:09So, we will be working in a large team
6:49:10to clear the area.
6:49:12Or to search for the source.
6:49:15Carl asked.
6:49:16Colonel Valerie shook her head.
6:49:19No, you will be working in small groups
6:49:21to control the monster population while
6:49:23you hunt for the source.
6:49:25The primary goal is to be population
6:49:27control.
6:49:29The military has been unsuccessfully
6:49:31searching the area for months, so our
6:49:33thought is that the source is
6:49:34underground or otherwise hidden from us.
6:49:37So, the priority is keeping the
6:49:39population from growing enough that it
6:49:41will be a threat to the nearby towns.
6:49:43She explained.
6:49:45Carl looked at the two soldiers who
6:49:47smiled back.
6:49:49We are the helicopter pilots.
6:49:52We will be taking you to the rest of the
6:49:53team this afternoon.
6:49:55Now, I believe that someone said you
6:49:57have beasts on your team. How much space
6:49:59do they need and do they need
6:50:01containment while flying?
6:50:03Carl shook his head.
6:50:05I am able to hold them in a separate
6:50:07space and they are no threat while
6:50:09flying.
6:50:10If there are no other students going,
6:50:12then you only need seats for the two of
6:50:14us.
6:50:15Colonel Valerie cleared her throat.
6:50:18There will be others going with you.
6:50:20Four senior teams are looking for
6:50:22resources in that general vicinity.
6:50:25They will be dropped first and then you
6:50:27will be deposited with your teams and
6:50:28the flight will return to base awaiting
6:50:30the call to recover successful mission
6:50:32teams.
6:50:33Dana took out a notepad and a pen.
6:50:36At least there won't be any wasted
6:50:38space.
6:50:39What do we know about the monsters in
6:50:41the area?
6:50:42Carl hurried to do the same, pulling a
6:50:45pen and notepad from his wasted space.
6:50:48What do we know about the monsters in
6:50:49the area?
6:50:51Here, just as Colonel Valerie began her
6:50:53explanation.
6:50:55There have been at least three goblin
6:50:56tribes spotted in the area.
6:50:59We have reports of roaming ogres and
6:51:00trolls and an unconfirmed report that
6:51:03there might be an Ettin Mage in the
6:51:04vicinity.
6:51:05Strengths have varied with most of the
6:51:07goblins being on the low common grade
6:51:09range, but the ogres and trolls are all
6:51:12awakened rank.
6:51:13If there is an Ettin Mage, it will most
6:51:16likely be ascended rank.
6:51:18However, there is a possibility that
6:51:20there will be an entirely different set
6:51:21of monsters when you arrive.
6:51:24Two weeks ago, the area was nearly
6:51:26overrun with minotaur and tremor hide
6:51:28worms.
6:51:30Carl knew what a minotaur was, but the
6:51:32worms were a new one to him.
6:51:34He didn't recall seeing them in any of
6:51:36his books.
6:51:38Tremor hide worms are 10 m long and
6:51:40large enough to swallow a grown man
6:51:42whole.
6:51:43However, they are slow moving and
6:51:45restricted to sandy areas.
6:51:48They can't move through rock and are
6:51:50especially obvious and ineffective in
6:51:52wooded areas.
6:51:54The colonel explained.
6:51:56Then she continued with her mission
6:51:57priorities.
6:51:59If the makeup of the monsters in the
6:52:01area doesn't change, then we would ask
6:52:03that you bring back the heads of the
6:52:04Ettin Mage if you should happen to find
6:52:06it.
6:52:07They are a hot topic of study these days
6:52:10as so few ogre type species can use
6:52:12magic well.
6:52:14They're not particularly bright and the
6:52:16government is curious about the brain
6:52:18makeup of the mages.
6:52:20The rest is up for grabs and you can
6:52:22keep what you want.
6:52:24It should be noted that the monsters in
6:52:25this sort of self-spawning region often
6:52:27have treasures with them that are far
6:52:29beyond what they should normally have.
6:52:32It has been known for them to have
6:52:33valuable potions, magical weapons and
6:52:36even enchanted gems in their possession,
6:52:38so check everything that you kill.
6:52:40Carl felt Hawk and Ray laughing in his
6:52:43mind.
6:52:44Killing was their specialty and neither
6:52:46of them had hands to be searching
6:52:48through the belongings of filthy ogres
6:52:49and trolls.
6:52:51When they got there, they would be able
6:52:53to hunt to their hearts' content and
6:52:55leave Carl to dig in the filth for
6:52:56treasures.
6:52:58There wasn't much more information
6:52:59forthcoming about the mission.
6:53:02The details of such actions were
6:53:03normally held within the military and
6:53:05the upper ranks of government, which
6:53:07Colonel Valerie would count as, but her
6:53:09department was elite development, so she
6:53:11might have only just been briefed on
6:53:12this herself and didn't want to have to
6:53:14look up all the little details to answer
6:53:16questions.
6:53:18When do we leave?
6:53:19Carl asked.
6:53:21Right about now.
6:53:23Do you need anything from your rooms?
6:53:25We have the kit bags packed and ready to
6:53:28go, loaded to ascended mission
6:53:29standards, so there are some more
6:53:31medical potions and cooking supplies as
6:53:33well as the rations.
6:53:35Colonel Valerie replied.
6:53:37Dana gave her a curious look.
6:53:40Why were there no cooking supplies in
6:53:42the last mission packs?
6:53:44How many of you actually knew how to
6:53:46cook?
6:53:47That's why.
6:53:48If we relied on the first years to cook
6:53:50for themselves, they would become
6:53:52nutritionally deficient before the
6:53:53mission was over, but you will have
6:53:55clerics with you on this mission and
6:53:57they can create food.
6:53:59Plus, the other elites are known to hunt
6:54:01for themselves occasionally or bring
6:54:03various vegan options depending on their
6:54:05preference.
6:54:07That is why I asked if you need to go to
6:54:08your rooms to get anything.
6:54:11The colonel explained with a smug smile
6:54:13on her face.
6:54:14She wasn't wrong, though.
6:54:17Only one in the initial group actually
6:54:19knew how to cook.
6:54:21On the way back, they had gained Sister
6:54:22Betty who was much more knowledgeable
6:54:25and even the two clerics they had
6:54:26rescued had some cooking skills.
6:54:29Will there be a water mage with us?
6:54:31Rationed water is no fun.
6:54:34Carl asked.
6:54:36There should be.
6:54:37I can't guarantee that the two of you
6:54:39will be together for these missions as
6:54:41they will be split into smaller teams
6:54:43and two rookies would be a liability,
6:54:45but there are usually either mages or
6:54:47clerics capable of creating water with
6:54:49each team.
6:54:51Carl will presumably take the role of
6:54:53one of the warriors while Dana will be
6:54:55their secondary mage.
6:54:57Most government issued missions call for
6:54:59groups that are a minimum of three
6:55:00people for awakened rank or lower
6:55:02incidents, five for ascended rank
6:55:04threats.
6:55:05That is the safety tolerance.
6:55:08I believe I mentioned once before that
6:55:10it would look terrible to the public if
6:55:12they found out that we had lost a
6:55:13student or a promising young elite.
6:55:16Not that any of the elites are
6:55:18particularly old. The program has only
6:55:20been running for 10 years, but you get
6:55:22my point.
6:55:23The team members all chuckled at her
6:55:25reference.
6:55:27She was one of the early testers of the
6:55:28divine serum, so she was older than the
6:55:31mainstream elites, but still not far
6:55:33into her 30s.
6:55:35All right, we will take the packs and
6:55:37head out as soon as we have checked
6:55:38them.
6:55:39Carl agreed.
6:55:41They're in the helicopter.
6:55:43Good luck and we will see both of you
6:55:45soon.
6:55:46Carl and Dana followed the pilots out
6:55:49while the bureau agents prepared for
6:55:50whatever they would be doing while the
6:55:52pair were away from the academy for an
6:55:53undefined amount of time.
6:55:56If the goal was population control, it
6:55:58might take them a week or a month or a
6:56:00season.
6:56:02There was no clear end point unless they
6:56:04were going to be relieved as soon as the
6:56:05regular teams returned from their
6:56:07vacation.
6:56:08That seemed unlikely to Carl.
6:56:11Back at the mines, there was always a
6:56:13bit of overlap after holidays when they
6:56:15pushed to get more done than the
6:56:17standard quota to make up for the missed
6:56:19productivity.
6:56:20The same was likely true here where the
6:56:22regular teams would join the substitutes
6:56:24for a day or two before the relief teams
6:56:26were sent back home.
6:56:28Carl called the beasts back into their
6:56:30spaces, interrupting their training, but
6:56:32for a good reason.
6:56:34Thor was a bit disappointed that he had
6:56:36to stop playing so soon, but he would
6:56:38get to see new places, so it was a fair
6:56:40trade in his mind.
6:56:42Hawk had no problem returning.
6:56:45The mages hadn't come up with any new
6:56:47strategy since yesterday, anyhow.
6:56:50Each of the helicopters had 20 students
6:56:52already in them when they arrived, and
6:56:54the pilots pulled Carl and Dana towards
6:56:56separate rides to grab their gear.
6:56:59Carl waved goodbye to the mage as he
6:57:01wondered when they would next see each
6:57:02other, but the door closed as soon as he
6:57:04had his pack and had taken his seat.
6:57:07The pilots weren't waiting any more and
6:57:09headed straight out to their first
6:57:10destinations.
6:57:12The berserker beside Carl smiled and
6:57:14patted him on the shoulder.
6:57:16The face was familiar, and Carl realized
6:57:19that he knew him from earthquake
6:57:20training.
6:57:22What are you doing alone on a
6:57:23helicopter?
6:57:24Are you assigned to join one of the
6:57:26teams?
6:57:27The muscular man asked.
6:57:30I'm getting air-dropped for an existing
6:57:32team, or so I have been told.
6:57:35I got the lottery win for a relief
6:57:37operation, so a regular military team
6:57:39can get days off.
6:57:41Carl explained.
6:57:43Oh, you lucky bastard.
6:57:46You got the call a month after reaching
6:57:47awakened, and I didn't get the call
6:57:49until the end of last year.
6:57:52Military support missions are cushy.
6:57:54They throw all sorts of people at them,
6:57:57since they're not professional soldiers.
6:57:59Half of the elites on my mission were
6:58:01blogging and taking selfies as much as
6:58:03they were actually working.
6:58:05It was just one big social media
6:58:07publicity tour.
6:58:09Who knows, you might even get to meet
6:58:11one of your idols.
6:58:13The berserker laughed.
6:58:15The man on the other side of Carl
6:58:16nodded.
6:58:18Mine wasn't that casual. We were in the
6:58:20woods and actually working, but there
6:58:22were at least three times as many people
6:58:24as we needed.
6:58:25We ran across other teams like twice a
6:58:27day.
6:58:28But the team I was with were all idiots.
6:58:32A banker and two politicians with their
6:58:34assistants.
6:58:35They had ditched too many calls, so they
6:58:37got forcibly sent on an actual mission.
6:58:40Neither of those options sounded much
6:58:42like what Carl had heard from the
6:58:44colonel, but there was a chance that
6:58:45they were right.
6:58:47She had said that they would be joining
6:58:48a team because the regular one was on
6:58:50days off, but she didn't explicitly
6:58:52state the quality of the team that they
6:58:54would join.
6:58:56For Dana's sake, she hoped they were a
6:58:58good team.
6:58:59He could rely on Hawk and the others,
6:59:01but she was somewhat squishy.
6:59:04Warm, too, and soft.
6:59:06Carl caught his wandering thoughts and
6:59:08looked out the window before the
6:59:10berserker realized he had lost track of
6:59:12the conversation.
6:59:13The others were all talking about the
6:59:15various missions that they had been on,
6:59:17so nobody expected Carl to fill in much.
6:59:20As a first year, he wouldn't have been
6:59:22out much, no matter how strong he had
6:59:24gotten.
6:59:26The best advice I can give you is not to
6:59:27piss off the healer.
6:59:29They might seem all righteous and such,
6:59:32but when hits the fan and they have
6:59:34to pick who they heal and who has to
6:59:35suffer and hope they survive until the
6:59:37next spell comes in, you know it's not
6:59:39the group's jerk that gets priority.
6:59:42One of the warriors laughed.
6:59:44The mage next to him laughed.
6:59:47You learned that the hard way.
6:59:49You had a broken leg for all of a lunch
6:59:51break because the healer was too tired
6:59:53for one more spell until after they ate.
6:59:56The warrior nodded solemnly.
6:59:58It was an important learning experience.
7:00:01You're a slow learner, though.
7:00:04Didn't Sister Betty punch you in the
7:00:05face just 2 days ago?
7:00:08One of the other warriors asked.
7:00:10Hey, she's not our healer, and I was
7:00:13very sincere in my intentions.
7:00:15The warrior defended himself.
7:00:18Carl laughed.
7:00:20You should be careful. She's stronger
7:00:22than she looks.
7:00:23She wrote to the academy from the
7:00:25seminary with my team after our last
7:00:27mission.
7:00:28The helicopter tilted and dropped toward
7:00:30a mountain valley, which signaled half
7:00:32the students in the vehicle to get their
7:00:34gear ready to depart.
7:00:36Carl noticed that they were loaded in
7:00:37the back half of the helicopter, so
7:00:39their departure wouldn't cause a drastic
7:00:41shift of the balance, and the others
7:00:43spread out as they walked down the ramp,
7:00:45distributing the weight evenly again.
7:00:47You get used to it.
7:00:49Spreading out is not only more
7:00:51comfortable, but it makes for a smoother
7:00:53ride.
7:00:54If you're with a new group, teach them
7:00:56to do it.
7:00:57But mostly the new groups take the
7:00:59train.
7:01:00We were supposed to take it as well, but
7:01:02the storm the other day damaged the
7:01:04tracks, and they're not fixed yet.
7:01:07The berserker explained.
7:01:09I saw that first hand.
7:01:11We were stuck out in that storm, and we
7:01:13weren't sure that we were going to make
7:01:15it back to the academy at all.
7:01:17As it was, we made it back only 1 day
7:01:20late.
7:01:21Carl agreed.
7:01:23The first team was out, and the crew
7:01:25closed the door as the helicopter lifted
7:01:27off.
7:01:285 minutes until the second team departs.
7:01:32Get your gear ready.
7:01:34The crew member riding in the back with
7:01:35them instructed.
7:01:37That was faster than anyone expected,
7:01:39but they already had their bags ready.
7:01:42All they had to do was make sure that
7:01:44nothing was loose or out of place, and
7:01:46then strap them on.
7:01:48The helicopter dropped only a few
7:01:49valleys over, where a small camp was set
7:01:52up.
7:01:53The team got out, and another team of 20
7:01:55got in.
7:01:57These were older and dressed for an
7:01:59extended time in the woods, whereas Carl
7:02:01was wearing the academy's training
7:02:03uniform of cargo pants, tank top, and
7:02:05jacket.
7:02:07It was almost a military look, but
7:02:09anyone in the nation would recognize it
7:02:10as a Divine Golden Academy uniform.
7:02:14Seriously?
7:02:15Not only do we get a random group from
7:02:17all over the country, we get a kid fresh
7:02:19out of the academy.
7:02:21Are you even awakened rank yet, kid?
7:02:24One of the women asked.
7:02:26Pushing for ascended already.
7:02:28I'm there in attack power, but still
7:02:30lacking some durability.
7:02:33Carl replied, resisting the urge to take
7:02:35the bait and get angry at her
7:02:37provocation.
7:02:38The woman rolled her eyes and snapped a
7:02:41punch at his face.
7:02:43Carl reacted instinctively and raised
7:02:45the lightning barrier, which her hand
7:02:47hit with a crackle of energy.
7:02:49Oh, I like this kid.
7:02:52Didn't even flinch.
7:02:54The man beside the irritable woman
7:02:55laughed.
7:02:57Then are you going to take him on your
7:02:58team?
7:03:00She asked.
7:03:01Yeah, I will take him.
7:03:03If he has ascended rank attack power and
7:03:05a lightning shield, he's not going to be
7:03:07a liability.
7:03:09But there's something about the look in
7:03:11his eyes.
7:03:12They're not natural, obviously, but
7:03:14they've got that placid look that large
7:03:16monsters give you, like they know you
7:03:18can't do a damn thing to them.
7:03:21The woman just rolled her eyes, and the
7:03:23group started to split up into teams.
7:03:26They ended up with seven groups of
7:03:27three, and Carl moved to join the ones
7:03:30he had been lumped in with.
7:03:32Carl, awakened rank beast master.
7:03:35He introduced himself.
7:03:37Bob and Doug McKenzie.
7:03:39I'm Robert, an ascended rank warrior,
7:03:42but you can call me Bob, and Doug is a
7:03:44green dragon cleric.
7:03:46The man who had spoken up for him
7:03:48announced.
7:03:49Despite sharing a family name, they
7:03:51didn't look anything alike, but Carl
7:03:53wasn't going to cause strife within with
7:03:55a good team by questioning their
7:03:57parentage.
7:03:58He had gotten a healer, but it would
7:04:00have been nice if they had a mage in the
7:04:02group.
7:04:03The green dragon was the dragon god of
7:04:05nature, and their cleric's role was
7:04:07similar to that of the druids and the
7:04:08world dragon, to keep nature running
7:04:10smoothly, so it made sense that they had
7:04:12been sent to help control the influx of
7:04:14monsters that was upsetting the balance.
7:04:17He should have solid healing skills, and
7:04:19he probably wouldn't be biased against
7:04:21the beasts.
7:04:23The good luck dragon scale charm was
7:04:25working quite reliably, Carl decided.
7:04:28So, what can you tell me about the beast
7:04:30master class?
7:04:32I have never heard of it before, so I
7:04:34don't know what you can do in a fight.
7:04:36The warrior, Bob, asked.
7:04:39I have three beasts, actual beasts, not
7:04:42summoned creatures that can be replaced.
7:04:45An evolved wind speed hawk that has
7:04:47learned fire magic.
7:04:49A lightning serow and a bloodbath
7:04:51spider.
7:04:53The lightning barrier is a skill I
7:04:54learned from Thor, the lightning serow.
7:04:58I can also use rend, and we can hear
7:05:00each other's thoughts to fight as a
7:05:01group.
7:05:02Carl explained.
7:05:04Doug smiled, and his face suddenly
7:05:06looked much younger than it had a moment
7:05:08ago under his mop of black curls.
7:05:11Now, we must be in luck.
7:05:14We got extra team members.
7:05:16It's always better not to be
7:05:17outnumbered.
7:05:19Don't worry, we will take good care of
7:05:21your partners.
7:05:22Are they all awakened rank or higher?
7:05:25Or is one of them still young?
7:05:28He asked.
7:05:29They're all still young, but they're all
7:05:31at awakened rank in body or better.
7:05:34Hawk and Ray, the bloodbath spider,
7:05:36aren't exactly tanks, but they are fast
7:05:39and agile.
7:05:40Are you familiar with the species?
7:05:43Carl asked.
7:05:45Bob nodded.
7:05:46Yeah.
7:05:48It's going to be a bit freaky having
7:05:49them around, but Doug is good with
7:05:51things like that.
7:05:53The flight was silent for a few minutes,
7:05:55and then the crew alerted them that they
7:05:57were going to be landing again.
7:05:59The other helicopter was visible in the
7:06:01distance, so they were all working the
7:06:02same area, which was a relief to Carl,
7:06:05who could see two different camps set up
7:06:07near the river that ran through the
7:06:08area.
7:06:10Bob raised his voice so he could be
7:06:11heard over the helicopter.
7:06:14We will head for the hills.
7:06:16Our team should be well suited to the
7:06:18scouting of the more rugged areas.
7:06:20The crew member gave him a positive
7:06:22gesture.
7:06:23Zone 1 goes to the McKenzie brothers and
7:06:26Carl.
7:06:27Call your preferences or I will pick
7:06:29them.
7:06:30The teams quickly picked zones to scout
7:06:32for the next few days, and Carl checked
7:06:34the fit of his pack so it didn't get
7:06:36uncomfortable as they hiked.
7:06:38As they stepped off the helicopter, Carl
7:06:41saw that there were many more people
7:06:42waiting around the area, and a pair of
7:06:44girls with curly black hair that matched
7:06:46Doug's came over to pull the cleric into
7:06:48a hug.
7:06:49Meet our other two team members.
7:06:52Meet Donnie and Danny.
7:06:54Doug introduced the two smiling women.
7:06:57Don't tell me, McKenzie.
7:07:00Carl replied.
7:07:02Right in one.
7:07:03We all volunteered to come when they
7:07:05announced the mission.
7:07:07The whole area has been upgraded to
7:07:09possible ascended rank threat as we have
7:07:11gotten a confirmation of at least one
7:07:13Eden mage in the area.
7:07:15Everyone will be getting two more
7:07:16members for their team out of the ones
7:07:18who got here first.
7:07:20One of the identical twin women agreed.
7:07:23Carl looked between them with curiosity.
7:07:26What are the odds that four children
7:07:27from the same family would get picked by
7:07:29the serum?
7:07:31Bob laughed.
7:07:32Extremely low.
7:07:34I don't know of more than a few other
7:07:36siblings that are elites.
7:07:38Though, one of the test generation has a
7:07:40son who's in the academy now.
7:07:43But we should get going before the
7:07:44annoying ones want to hold an all-night
7:07:46strategy meeting where they think of
7:07:48reasons that they shouldn't be the ones
7:07:49going out to do the actual work.
7:07:52Bob led them out of the encampment past
7:07:54sharp-eyed guards who were giving
7:07:56envious looks to their group with the
7:07:57twins.
7:07:59Most wouldn't realize right away that
7:08:00they were all siblings other than Carl,
7:08:03so having not just one but two
7:08:04good-looking women with them would look
7:08:06like an envious situation.
7:08:08So, what are your specialties?
7:08:11Carl asked as they moved out of sight of
7:08:13the camp.
7:08:14We're both mages.
7:08:16I'm better with constructs, and Donnie
7:08:18is better with arcane barriers.
7:08:21Danny explained.
7:08:23They got a kilometer into the woods and
7:08:25Doug gestured to Carl.
7:08:27Call out your team.
7:08:29It's better that we have a chance to
7:08:31meet them in advance, even if they're
7:08:32resting until we're in the threat area.
7:08:35Carl called the three out, and Bob froze
7:08:38in place staring at Ray.
7:08:40Donnie laughed.
7:08:42Oh, this should be fun.
7:08:45Bob is terrified of spiders.
7:08:47Even little ones.
7:08:49Is she friendly?
7:08:51Carl nodded.
7:08:53Generally.
7:08:54She's not always a people person.
7:08:57But Thor is friendly enough for two
7:08:59people, so it works out well.
7:09:01Ray laughed at that as Thor made his way
7:09:03to the cleric looking for attention.
7:09:06Hawk flapped up above them and sighed in
7:09:08relief at the chance to stretch his
7:09:10wings.
7:09:11What am I even looking for?
7:09:13He asked.
7:09:15Groups of monsters.
7:09:17There should be goblins, big goblins,
7:09:20ogres, ogres with two heads that use
7:09:22magic, trolls, and maybe something else.
7:09:26Carl explained knowing that Hawk hadn't
7:09:28paid any attention to the briefing.
7:09:30Carl sensed Hawk's dismay at the
7:09:32announcement, but he knew that Hawk
7:09:34wasn't afraid of goblins and probably
7:09:36wasn't afraid of ogres either
7:09:38considering how much fun he had
7:09:39harassing random bears, which were
7:09:41neither smaller nor weaker than the
7:09:43ogres were.
7:09:44Goblins smell terrible.
7:09:47But at least they will be easy to find.
7:09:50Hawk finally explained.
7:09:52That would explain his reluctance, but
7:09:54he was already off and scouting the area
7:09:56for threats.
7:09:58Hey, this mission is stupidly simple.
7:10:01They're right here.
7:10:03Just turn right a little and you will
7:10:04find them.
7:10:06Hawk informed Carl a few seconds later.
7:10:09Hawk says there are goblins just ahead
7:10:11to the right.
7:10:13I wasn't expecting them to be this
7:10:14close, but he says they're here.
7:10:17Carl explained quietly to the others.
7:10:20The mages looked startled and turned in
7:10:22the indicated direction.
7:10:24Seriously.
7:10:26We're barely out of sight of the camp.
7:10:29What are goblins doing this close to
7:10:30civilization?
7:10:32Our intelligence suggested that they
7:10:34first appear further into the mountains,
7:10:36and that is why we were going there to
7:10:37hunt for them.
7:10:39I only know what Hawk tells me.
7:10:42Should we go?
7:10:43Carl asked.
7:10:45Bob nodded.
7:10:47I will take point with the casters in
7:10:49the middle.
7:10:50You take the rear with the beasts
7:10:52protecting our flanks.
7:10:54You can have them move further from us
7:10:56so the goblins don't realize we're all
7:10:58together.
7:10:59I can smell them already.
7:11:01They're coming this way.
7:11:03Ray informed Carl.
7:11:06Split off and hide.
7:11:08Ambush when the time is right.
7:11:10Thor, move forward to fight beside Bob
7:11:13and protect the flank.
7:11:15The goblins are coming our way.
7:11:17Carl warned.
7:11:19The shouts of a goblin hunting squad
7:11:21became audible seconds later, and Carl
7:11:23took out his sword.
7:11:25He stepped off to the side preparing to
7:11:27defend any attacks that might come from
7:11:29the left while Thor was on the right,
7:11:31but Doug shook his head, and Danny
7:11:33summoned four wood golems to encircle
7:11:35the casters.
7:11:37The cleric cast a spell on them, and the
7:11:39wooden bodies turned more sturdy
7:11:41strengthened by magic.
7:11:43The two of them had a system and worked
7:11:45well together.
7:11:46Then Donnie cast a barrier over
7:11:48everyone, and they settled in for the
7:11:50goblin charge.
7:11:52A flurry of rend attacks came down from
7:11:54the sky as Hawk started his offensive,
7:11:56and then there was a shadow moving
7:11:58through the hunting squad like a
7:11:59whirlwind throwing dismembered limbs in
7:12:01the air as the goblins screamed and
7:12:03tried in vain to run.
7:12:05What in the goddess' name was that?
7:12:07One of the mages asked as Ray finished
7:12:09her work and retreated into the trees to
7:12:11wipe herself clean again.
7:12:14That would be Hawk attacking from above
7:12:16and Ray ambushing from the trees.
7:12:18They're just common rank monsters, so it
7:12:21wasn't a big deal for them to clear them
7:12:22out, I guess.
7:12:25Carl replied.
7:12:26The whole clearing was covered in
7:12:28dismembered goblins, and Carl hesitated.
7:12:32He had been reminded that they might
7:12:33have uncommonly good items on them, but
7:12:35Hawk was right.
7:12:37Goblins smelled terrible, especially the
7:12:39insides of them.
7:12:41The others seemed to be thinking the
7:12:42same thing as they all hesitated to get
7:12:45any closer.
7:12:47Time to do your part.
7:12:49Don't miss any good stuff.
7:12:51Ray taunted him as Carl prepared to go
7:12:53loot the goblins.
7:12:55You could have at least left them intact
7:12:57so I wouldn't have to check so many
7:12:58pieces.
7:13:00Carl complained.
7:13:02They're too squishy. They just blew
7:13:04apart when I hit them.
7:13:06I didn't want to use my mandibles in
7:13:08case something got in my mouth.
7:13:10You already made me drink that potion.
7:13:12I'm not eating goblin.
7:13:14Hawk chimed into the conversation.
7:13:17I see shiny things.
7:13:20Metal shiny and gem shiny.
7:13:22I don't know if they're good things.
7:13:25Carl sighed and stepped forward earning
7:13:27himself a curious look from the others.
7:13:30Hawk and Ray say that there are shiny
7:13:32things, both metal and gems, on the
7:13:34bodies.
7:13:36We should see if it's valuable or
7:13:37useful.
7:13:39The Bureau of Elite Development said
7:13:40that these are escaped from a spell, and
7:13:42they might have loot that they wouldn't
7:13:44normally own.
7:13:45The other side then spread out in a line
7:13:48so they could clear out the bodies in
7:13:50one pass with as little contact as
7:13:52possible.
7:13:53I recommend that you grab a long stick.
7:13:56Poke the bodies to open bags and search
7:13:59them.
7:14:00It might not find everything, but it's
7:14:02better than actually touching them.
7:14:04Doug, the green dragon cleric,
7:14:06suggested.
7:14:08Carl quickly grabbed a stick and got to
7:14:10work checking the bodies.
7:14:12He wasn't sure what was actually worth
7:14:14keeping, but his equipment had a fair
7:14:16bit of storage, and the first thing he
7:14:18found was a decent-sized leather pouch
7:14:20that could hold anything that he
7:14:21gathered.
7:14:23Then there were a few gold rings on one
7:14:25goblin, a quality steel dagger on
7:14:27another, a few gemstones, and finally a
7:14:30golden necklace.
7:14:32Lay your loot out on the ground and I
7:14:34will purify it.
7:14:35Doug offered helpfully once they were
7:14:37all on the other side of the clearing
7:14:39where Thor and Ray had joined them.
7:14:42Carl dumped everything out and then laid
7:14:44the bag on the ground with the rest of
7:14:46the loot.
7:14:47Well, that's interesting.
7:14:49The majority of this is just shiny metal
7:14:52and simple gems, but one of those rings
7:14:54is magical and the bag is also
7:14:56enchanted.
7:14:58Doug noted as he finished cleaning.
7:15:00Do you know what enchantment?
7:15:02Carl asked.
7:15:04I know that it's not a curse, but that's
7:15:06not my area of expertise.
7:15:09We will have to have it identified by
7:15:11the spell crafters when we return.
7:15:13They will know what it does.
7:15:16The cleric explained.
7:15:18Carl shrugged and dumped the loot back
7:15:20into the bag, which he hung by its
7:15:22straps from his belt.
7:15:23If they were going to keep gathering
7:15:25from goblin bodies, he would keep it
7:15:27there instead of stuffing it in his pack
7:15:29next to his food and spare clothes.
7:15:32The bag wasn't particularly large, but
7:15:34it would hold a half dozen hauls like
7:15:36this as long as he didn't keep picking
7:15:38up more weapons.
7:15:40He wrapped the dagger in freshly
7:15:41purified cloth and stuffed it in the bag
7:15:44as the decoration was pretty, and if he
7:15:46could find a scabbard for it, he would
7:15:48keep it with him.
7:15:49Should we burn the bodies?
7:15:52Carl asked the others.
7:15:54Bob shook his head.
7:15:56The risk of a forest fire is too high.
7:15:59They will decompose quickly out here if
7:16:01the other monsters don't eat them.
7:16:04With the goblins dead and the loot
7:16:06cleansed thanks to the efforts of their
7:16:08cleric, the group started moving toward
7:16:10their destination again, but in a much
7:16:12larger formation.
7:16:14Ray stayed in the trees nearby, and Thor
7:16:16joined Bob at the front of the group
7:16:18while the wood golems took up positions
7:16:20on the flanks and Carl brought up the
7:16:22rear of the convoy.
7:16:23Nobody was saying anything, but it
7:16:25didn't feel unfriendly. More like it
7:16:27just wasn't necessary to say anything,
7:16:30since everyone understood their roles.
7:16:32If there was a threat, they would call
7:16:34orders, but while just walking, nobody
7:16:36was going to get lost or fall out of
7:16:38position unexpectedly, the way that a
7:16:40bunch of distractible students might.
7:16:43The only one that was truly on edge was
7:16:45Bob, who kept catching glimpses of Ray
7:16:47in the trees and thinking that they were
7:16:49going to be attacked until he realized
7:16:51that it was just her again.
7:16:53I think there is something up ahead.
7:16:56The ground here is more packed than
7:16:57small wildlife would account for, and
7:16:59there are broken branches above head
7:17:01height.
7:17:02Bob quietly warned them an hour after
7:17:04they left the goblins behind.
7:17:07Ray made a mental note of that.
7:17:09For a bloodbath spider, prey usually
7:17:12came to them.
7:17:13They didn't go out hunting things, so
7:17:15they had no inherited memory of tracking
7:17:17skills.
7:17:19Hawk hunted by direct sensory input, and
7:17:21he had been guiding them down the trail,
7:17:23but he hadn't seen anything concerning
7:17:25yet.
7:17:26So, it was Carl's use of Hawk's eyesight
7:17:29that finally gave them the clue they
7:17:30needed.
7:17:32Everyone stop.
7:17:34Face right.
7:17:35I have enhanced eyesight into the ranges
7:17:38that a wind speed hawk can see.
7:17:40That includes ultraviolet, and it makes
7:17:43urine and other bodily fluid traces glow
7:17:45in the light.
7:17:46There is a handprint in the ultraviolet
7:17:48spectrum on a tree in that direction,
7:17:50too large to be one of us.
7:17:53It's even larger than Professor Tank's
7:17:55hands, and that man is well over 2 m
7:17:57tall.
7:17:58Carl whispered.
7:18:00I will go look, Hawk replied.
7:18:03He couldn't see the handprint from
7:18:05above, as it was hidden under the canopy
7:18:07of the trees, but Hawk did his best to
7:18:09search for anything in the area anyhow.
7:18:12I think there is a cave up ahead.
7:18:14I can't see it without landing, but
7:18:17something looks wrong.
7:18:18He replied a few minutes later.
7:18:21Hawk says there might be a cave.
7:18:24It's hidden from above, but he's fairly
7:18:26certain it's there.
7:18:28Carl explained.
7:18:30Bob nodded and led the team forward,
7:18:32following Carl's guidance every time he
7:18:34saw a sign of the large creature.
7:18:37Then, Carl started to see the telltale
7:18:39signs of goblins.
7:18:41Plenty of filth was visible to his
7:18:42enhanced eyesight, but it all stayed
7:18:45tight to the trees, where it wouldn't be
7:18:46seen from above.
7:18:48Bob noticed the signs only seconds after
7:18:51Carl did.
7:18:52I think they understand about the
7:18:54helicopters.
7:18:56They're hiding from overhead
7:18:57surveillance.
7:18:58But, the goblins must have come past
7:19:00here in a large group.
7:19:02They might be under orders from the ogre
7:19:04we have been tracking as well.
7:19:06Goblins are cowards, and ogres are lazy.
7:19:10So, if an ogre comes across a goblin
7:19:12tribe, it will often threaten them to
7:19:14make them work for it.
7:19:16He explained.
7:19:18The mages pulled closer together, ready
7:19:20for an attack, and Carl realized that he
7:19:22had no idea which one was which anymore.
7:19:25They had the same black hair in the same
7:19:28haircut, and they were wearing the same
7:19:29uniform with the same last name on their
7:19:32badges.
7:19:33Someone had called Bob and Doug twins as
7:19:35well, but at least they were different
7:19:37sizes, and Doug's hair was longer, while
7:19:40Bob's was cut tight to his head.
7:19:42The smell of burning wood came to them
7:19:44from the distance, and Carl smiled.
7:19:47We found them.
7:19:49I smell campfire.
7:19:51So, unless the forest is burning, there
7:19:53is someone up ahead.
7:19:55He whispered.
7:19:57Bob led them forward, with Thor doing
7:19:59his best to be silent beside the
7:20:01warrior, and they burst into a clearing
7:20:03with their weapons up.
7:20:04You vanished.
7:20:06Hawk complained, then dove under the
7:20:08tree line to join them and protect Carl.
7:20:11But, there was nothing to protect them
7:20:13from.
7:20:14In front of them stood a large cave
7:20:16entrance, giving off a slight plume of
7:20:18smoke from a cooking fire inside, and a
7:20:20full 10-person military team was sitting
7:20:22around on the rocks.
7:20:24Damn it, we thought we found an ogre
7:20:26camp.
7:20:28Bob sighed as he realized the situation.
7:20:31The warrior at the fire smiled at him.
7:20:34You did, but about 6 hours too late.
7:20:37We got four ogres and 15 goblins out of
7:20:40the cave.
7:20:41There should be more goblins nearby, but
7:20:44we are waiting for them to come back.
7:20:46Carl looked up and noticed the slight
7:20:48shimmer of a spell that had been hiding
7:20:50them from Hawk's vision, as well as the
7:20:52obvious signs on the trees of a violent
7:20:54battle having taken place in the recent
7:20:56past.
7:20:57Bob smiled at the warrior.
7:21:00I think that we found the rest of your
7:21:01goblins.
7:21:03The beasts with our team cleared out an
7:21:04entire hunting party just an hour or so
7:21:07ago.
7:21:08We followed the game track they were on,
7:21:10and it led us here.
7:21:12The team looked immensely relieved and
7:21:14began to relax a little.
7:21:16There were still plenty of dangers in
7:21:18the woods, but if Carl's team had killed
7:21:20off the rest of the goblins who lived
7:21:22here, then at least nothing would be
7:21:24looking for their resting spot tonight.
7:21:26Why don't you all take a break here for
7:21:28a bit?
7:21:29It's still early, but it gets dark fast
7:21:32in the hills, and there might be more
7:21:33monsters about.
7:21:35The warrior suggested.
7:21:37Bob shook his head.
7:21:39We are headed for region one, and we
7:21:41should try to get closer to it tonight.
7:21:44There were a half
7:21:47dozen more fresh teams headed out today,
7:21:50so you might come across another if they
7:21:52know how to before realizing they are
7:21:53humans.
7:21:55The warrior nodded, and Bob gestured for
7:21:57his team to keep moving.
7:21:59Once they were another kilometer down
7:22:01the road, Bob turned back to the group.
7:22:04They are sitting in an empty ogre den.
7:22:07Something is going to notice that the
7:22:09ogre clan is gone soon, and then they
7:22:11will come looking to take over the cave.
7:22:13We will swing by there again on our way
7:22:15back and see what has moved in.
7:22:18He explained.
7:22:20Hawk returned to his patrols high in the
7:22:21sky once he realized that his senses had
7:22:24been tricked by magic, while Bob led
7:22:26them through the woods to a small river.
7:22:28From his limited experience, Carl
7:22:31recalled that rivers should be a
7:22:32gathering point for monsters needing a
7:22:34drink, but the area was quiet, with only
7:22:36a few small tree animals.
7:22:39The rest had been scared off by the
7:22:40presence of Ray, who was still hiding in
7:22:43the trees, or by the noise that the
7:22:45group with Thor and the four tree golems
7:22:47was making.
7:22:48They weren't going to win any stealth
7:22:50awards today, but nobody was seeing
7:22:52signs of large monsters, and they
7:22:54weren't worried about the smaller native
7:22:56ones.
7:22:57Once we find a good way across the
7:22:59river, we will move into the hills and
7:23:01find a campsite for the night.
7:23:03Bob explained.
7:23:05It was only about 10 m wide, but it
7:23:08looked fairly deep, and none of them
7:23:09were looking forward to getting soaked
7:23:11right before the sun went down in the
7:23:13mountains.
7:23:14I will make a bridge for you.
7:23:16Ray offered.
7:23:18Ray will hook us up.
7:23:20Just give her a moment to work, and she
7:23:22will have a way across the river.
7:23:25Carl explained to the others.
7:23:27She was already getting to work,
7:23:29attaching her web to trees on opposite
7:23:31sides of the river, and creating a small
7:23:34woven platform for them to cross.
7:23:36Then, she added a handhold line up near
7:23:38shoulder height, and darted across it to
7:23:41add a bit more securement to the other
7:23:42side.
7:23:44Bob gave the silk rope bridge a look of
7:23:46trepidation, but he stepped up onto it
7:23:48and easily balanced as he made his way
7:23:50across.
7:23:52The mages looked at the bridge and shook
7:23:53their heads.
7:23:55There is no way we're making it across
7:23:57that without dumping ourselves in the
7:23:58river.
7:24:00One of them, possibly Danny, informed
7:24:02Carl with a frown.
7:24:04What if we send your packs first?
7:24:07Or should I have Ray make more bridge
7:24:08for you?
7:24:10It's not going to fall in the water.
7:24:12Carl asked.
7:24:14Doug smirked as he relieved one of the
7:24:16mages of her pack and nimbly danced
7:24:18across the bridge, putting one foot in
7:24:20front of the other.
7:24:21They're just incredibly uncoordinated.
7:24:24Taking the packs from them is a good
7:24:26idea, but they still might not be able
7:24:28to walk a straight line.
7:24:30He taunted.
7:24:32I could throw them.
7:24:34Thor suggested.
7:24:36Hopefully, it won't come down to having
7:24:38Thor toss you.
7:24:39How about you pass me your remaining
7:24:41pack and give it a try?
7:24:43The upper rope is sturdy. Just keep a
7:24:45good hold on it, and you won't fall in
7:24:47the river.
7:24:48Carl offered.
7:24:50The remaining pack was handed to him,
7:24:52and a mage stepped up on the bridge,
7:24:54wobbling a little as she took her first
7:24:56few steps.
7:24:57But, after that, she was getting the
7:24:59hang of it, and after a close call that
7:25:01left her hanging off the handrail for a
7:25:03moment, she made it to the other side.
7:25:06How is Thor going to make it to the
7:25:07other side?
7:25:09The remaining mage asked.
7:25:11He will just duck into the separate
7:25:13space where he rests, and then come out
7:25:15again when I'm on the other side.
7:25:17Carl laughed while imagining the sight
7:25:20of Thor trying to cross a single rope
7:25:21bridge.
7:25:23The mage carefully crossed the river,
7:25:25then Carl walked across behind her
7:25:27before turning back to the bridge.
7:25:30I suppose we should take that down,
7:25:31unless we are going to need it to go
7:25:33back.
7:25:34Or at least disable it, so it doesn't
7:25:36let anything else cross the river.
7:25:38He suggested.
7:25:40Yeah, we could cut it and let it fall.
7:25:43Most creatures wouldn't be able to reuse
7:25:45it anyhow.
7:25:47How long will the silk last?
7:25:49Bob asked.
7:25:51Carl shrugged.
7:25:53As long as it needs to, I suppose.
7:25:56It normally doesn't dissolve or
7:25:58anything.
7:25:59Leave it.
7:26:01Someone else will need to get across the
7:26:02river soon, and they will likely be
7:26:04following the same trail that we are.
7:26:07We have to cross two more search areas
7:26:09before we get where we are going, and
7:26:11they will appreciate the ability to get
7:26:12across.
7:26:14Well, at least after they realize that
7:26:16it isn't a trap by a giant spider to get
7:26:18them stuck in the middle of the river.
7:26:21Ray perked up at the suggestion.
7:26:23That was actually brilliant.
7:26:26Just a bit of sticky silk and she could
7:26:28get them stuck right in the middle where
7:26:30they would be out in the open and nearly
7:26:31helpless.
7:26:33But she resisted the urge to booby trap
7:26:35the bridge and waited patiently for the
7:26:37group to continue.
7:26:39The sun was about to hit the mountains
7:26:41and while it would be twilight for a few
7:26:43hours still, the direct light was about
7:26:45to end for the day.
7:26:47As we have Ray here, why don't we camp
7:26:49up in a tree tonight?
7:26:51It will be softer and safer than camping
7:26:53on the ground and she is fast with the
7:26:55web.
7:26:56It isn't too draining, is it?
7:26:59Bob asked as the light began to fade
7:27:01marking time to get their camp set up.
7:27:04Ray gave him what he took for an
7:27:05enthusiastic gesture and Hawk informed
7:27:08her of a good tree nearby with large
7:27:10white branches that could be used to
7:27:11make a tree fort.
7:27:13She says it's not and she's off to build
7:27:16us a camp in a spot that Hawk picked
7:27:18nearby.
7:27:19He says the tree has nice white branches
7:27:21for a nest.
7:27:23Carl explained as the spider vanished.
7:27:26The mages smiled at Carl.
7:27:29You know, it's really handy having her
7:27:31around.
7:27:32Setting up camp is always the most
7:27:34annoying part of the day and you usually
7:27:36end up having to sleep on rocks and tree
7:27:38roots or out in the open where anything
7:27:40could see you.
7:27:42But being in the trees will limit the
7:27:43number of monsters that can get to us
7:27:45and Ray should be able to make a decent
7:27:47canopy to keep the rain off and the bugs
7:27:49out.
7:27:50Ray was listening in from a distance and
7:27:52perked up at the mention of bugs.
7:27:55Do you think there are bugs big enough
7:27:56to eat here?
7:27:58I can make a sticky tent.
7:28:00She eagerly suggested.
7:28:03I can't say for sure, but we're in the
7:28:05right area for them.
7:28:07There might even be another giant beetle
7:28:09out here or some of the vampire flies
7:28:11which are nearly as big as my forearm.
7:28:14Carl informed her.
7:28:16Ray started to alter her idea from just
7:28:18a platform to an awning tent that would
7:28:20enclose the area trapping any bugs that
7:28:22tried to go for the team so she could
7:28:24eat them later.
7:28:26Carl led the team over to the chosen
7:28:28tree and saw that Ray had made them a
7:28:30ladder to climb up the 50 m to where she
7:28:32had chosen to put their encampment in a
7:28:34large redwood tree overlooking a
7:28:35clearing.
7:28:37The view was incredible and the tree
7:28:39towered over most of the others in the
7:28:41area which would let them scout for
7:28:42enemies easily when the sun came back
7:28:44up.
7:28:45How far are we from our search area?
7:28:48Carl asked as they looked up into the
7:28:50tree.
7:28:51We should be right near the edge of it
7:28:53now.
7:28:54Let me double
7:28:56check the map, but I believe that our
7:28:58area started just behind us.
7:29:00Bob replied.
7:29:02The mages smiled.
7:29:04That means we can keep this as our base
7:29:06camp until we finished with the area.
7:29:09It takes ages to do a full search and
7:29:11there are fresh monsters appearing every
7:29:13day, so even if we clean them out one
7:29:15day, we will have to start over the
7:29:17next.
7:29:18But with a good base camp, we can just
7:29:21keep scouting and returning to the same
7:29:22spot without letting the monsters build
7:29:25up.
7:29:26Carl nodded in understanding.
7:29:28You hear that, Ray?
7:29:31This will be a regular spot, so feel
7:29:33free to make more webs in the area if
7:29:35you want to catch snacks.
7:29:37Bob sighed as he saw Ray start to spin
7:29:39more webs in the area filling the
7:29:41treetops and linking them together into
7:29:43one large web.
7:29:45Did you have to tell her that?
7:29:47He asked.
7:29:48Of course.
7:29:50She's going to get hungry and we need to
7:29:52get rid of the excess monsters, so the
7:29:54more that she catches in her web, the
7:29:56fewer that we have to hunt.
7:29:59I will ask her to leave some at ground
7:30:00level as well since we're not just after
7:30:02monsters that climb trees.
7:30:05Carl explained with a smile.
7:30:07Carl led the group up the ladder and
7:30:09into the large tree fort that Ray had
7:30:11created for them complete with a nest
7:30:13for Hawk that he was filling with leaves
7:30:15and small branches for comfort.
7:30:17There seemed to be a number of magical
7:30:19resources in that pile. Carl could sense
7:30:22the energy coming from the pile, but he
7:30:24didn't recognize any of the plants, so
7:30:26Hawk's comfort was worth more than an
7:30:27unknown leaf.
7:30:29Not every magical resource had a known
7:30:31usage.
7:30:32Some were just plants that held a bit of
7:30:34mana in them and were either a bit more
7:30:36durable than usual or longer lived.
7:30:40It had only taken a few minutes to make
7:30:41the web fort which was smooth on the
7:30:43inside, but open like any other net
7:30:46while there was a sticky and much more
7:30:47tightly woven layer underneath.
7:30:50That would keep the pests out, but it
7:30:52would also let the breeze in.
7:30:54That might be undesirable from a
7:30:56temperature standpoint, but for the
7:30:58sense of smell, it was vital.
7:31:00The awning overhead was proper silk
7:31:02cloth keeping the rain off and the sides
7:31:05were loosely woven, but Carl didn't see
7:31:07any issues with the design other than
7:31:09the lack of a solid surface to cook on.
7:31:12They should be able to come up with
7:31:13something though even if it was just a
7:31:16split log to set the cooking stove on.
7:31:19The mages were panting and cursing by
7:31:21the time that they made it up the ladder
7:31:23and Ray was doing her best not to laugh
7:31:25at their lack of physical fitness.
7:31:27The rest of the group had superhuman
7:31:29strength and endurance, but they had to
7:31:31climb all the way up with normal human
7:31:33strength.
7:31:34The group had come up one at a time
7:31:36concerned about the strength of Ray's
7:31:38ladder, but her web was made to contain
7:31:40monsters of her level.
7:31:42If an ascended monster could tear the
7:31:43web simply by hanging on it, the
7:31:45bloodbath spider would starve.
7:31:48This is nice.
7:31:50I mean, really nice.
7:31:52When we go out with larger military
7:31:54groups, it's common for them to have a
7:31:56large canvas tent designed to hold the
7:31:58whole team and it takes up a whole
7:32:00backpack.
7:32:01This reminds me of that, but it's so
7:32:03well blended to the surroundings.
7:32:06Bob congratulated Ray on her handiwork.
7:32:09She had put great effort into making the
7:32:11canopy blend in with the tree and she
7:32:13had even pulled small branches and
7:32:15leaves into the weave so that they would
7:32:17shield the fort from outside detection
7:32:18until it was too late for the victims to
7:32:20avoid being captured.
7:32:22They would smell and hear the people in
7:32:24the tree and get lured in, but they
7:32:26would never expect the whole area to be
7:32:28surrounded in spider web.
7:32:30Doug settled in with his back against
7:32:32the tree and cast a spell that made a
7:32:34branch grow out past him and then
7:32:36flatten into what looked like a cutting
7:32:38board.
7:32:39The advantages of having a nature priest
7:32:41with you.
7:32:42I'm very good at plant growth magic.
7:32:45Now, I will get started on dinner and
7:32:48you all can lay out your sleeping bags.
7:32:51We will work out the watch schedule
7:32:52after we eat.
7:32:54The cleric explained quietly.
7:32:57Every communication out here was done in
7:32:59a hushed tone so you didn't alert your
7:33:01target to your presence and for these
7:33:03experienced adventurers, it had nearly
7:33:05become second nature.
7:33:07Carl laid out his bag next to Hawk's
7:33:09nest and watched the others finish
7:33:11setting up for the evening on the soft
7:33:13springy net.
7:33:14If you don't mind my asking, what do you
7:33:16all do when you haven't been called to a
7:33:18monster control battle?
7:33:20He asked the group.
7:33:22Doug chuckled and gestured to his simple
7:33:24green cleric robes.
7:33:26I think you can guess what I do for a
7:33:28living.
7:33:29But I am also on the Environmental
7:33:31Protection Agency's emergency response
7:33:33team, so they call me when there is a
7:33:34toxic spill or other environmental
7:33:36disaster to help with cleanup.
7:33:39Most of the time, I teach students at
7:33:41the Seminary Academy or tour the
7:33:43parishes to make sure that the church
7:33:45crops are doing well.
7:33:47Bob just shrugged.
7:33:49This is what I do for a living.
7:33:52I am out here full-time working on
7:33:54commission from the government.
7:33:56One of the twins gestured between the
7:33:58two of them.
7:33:59We work for a security company in the
7:34:01capital.
7:34:02I'm actually highly skilled with
7:34:04security cameras and all sorts of alarm
7:34:06systems, so we only use our magic one
7:34:09week a month when we come to join Bob in
7:34:10the woods.
7:34:12It's a bit like a camping trip, a family
7:34:14tradition, but with dangerous monsters.
7:34:17That's quite the family resume.
7:34:20I still haven't even started to think
7:34:22about what I'm going to do after
7:34:23graduation.
7:34:25It's nice out here and having grown up
7:34:27in the mines, I have a particular
7:34:28fondness for anywhere that is not a
7:34:30narrow underground tunnel.
7:34:32But other than that, I have no idea.
7:34:36Carl replied.
7:34:37Bob laughed.
7:34:39I doubt you have to worry about it.
7:34:42I checked your deployment orders before
7:34:44I got on the plane and you've been sent
7:34:46here by the Bureau of Elite Development.
7:34:48They never latch on to anyone that they
7:34:50don't have a plan for.
7:34:52If my guess is right, they think that
7:34:54you will keep progressing and then end
7:34:56up in one of those fancy government jobs
7:34:58as grand high muckety-muck.
7:35:00That made Doug laugh so hard he almost
7:35:03dropped the potatoes he was cutting.
7:35:05Well, that's one way to phrase it.
7:35:08The Bureau tends to focus on people who
7:35:10will become either powerful or famous in
7:35:12the future.
7:35:13You don't look like the sort that wants
7:35:15to be on television, so I think they
7:35:17will likely push for you to take on a
7:35:18job like Bob's or to go into the defense
7:35:21department.
7:35:22If you make it past commander and into
7:35:24the royal and monarch ranks, it is
7:35:26almost guaranteed to be government.
7:35:29But any further than that and things get
7:35:30murky.
7:35:32They don't have so many overlords that
7:35:34they can just afford to have them
7:35:35wandering around doing what they please.
7:35:38That much power is what they call a
7:35:39strategic asset.
7:35:41The sort of person that can be used as a
7:35:43threat to make the aggressive beast
7:35:45clans and other nations back down.
7:35:48Aggressive beast clans?
7:35:50Carl asked.
7:35:52Doug shrugged.
7:35:54You know, like the drakes, the Phoenix
7:35:56clans, the wild dragons and the Griffin
7:35:59nests.
7:36:00The sort of beasts that have human or
7:36:02higher intelligence and very little
7:36:04patience for stupidity.
7:36:06Hawk squawked with laughter at that.
7:36:09It was a wonderful description of the
7:36:10most powerful of magical beasts.
7:36:13Bob smiled at his brother as he added
7:36:15his opinion.
7:36:17It's not like they're at war with us,
7:36:19but every time someone does something
7:36:21that irritates them, we need to convince
7:36:23them not to go on a rampage to prevent
7:36:25it from happening again.
7:36:27Especially the drakes.
7:36:29They're incredibly irritable, and then
7:36:31there are the drake riders, who are a
7:36:33bunch of nutbars on a good day.
7:36:35Carl chuckled.
7:36:37So I've heard.
7:36:39Well, at least here we get to just look
7:36:41over our zone and find the prey. We
7:36:43don't need to worry about all those
7:36:44little details.
7:36:46All of my beasts are right on the
7:36:48borderline between awakened and
7:36:49ascended. So with a bit more effort and
7:36:51a little push, we might manage to
7:36:53advance and get recognized as ascended
7:36:55during the next round of exams.
7:36:58One of the mages side.
7:37:00Lucky bugger.
7:37:02I didn't pass the ascended exam until my
7:37:04last year at the academy in the final
7:37:06semester, no less.
7:37:08You can't be that old yet.
7:37:11Carl shook his head.
7:37:13No, I'm still in my first year.
7:37:16Everyone turned to stare at him when
7:37:17Carl made that announcement.
7:37:20Say that again.
7:37:22Did you just say that you're in the
7:37:23first year?
7:37:24As in, you're planning to make ascended
7:37:26during the end of your first semester's
7:37:28exams?
7:37:29When did they even test you to awakened?
7:37:32It's not midterms yet, is it?
7:37:35Bob asked.
7:37:37No, we're still not at midterms.
7:37:40Actually, I think I will miss them
7:37:41because of the mission.
7:37:43But I was tested to awaken 3 weeks after
7:37:46I got to the academy when Hawk started
7:37:48to really grow in potential.
7:37:50Ray and Thor joined us a few weeks
7:37:52later, but they're growing fast.
7:37:55Carl explained.
7:37:57They're growing exceptionally fast if
7:37:58they're already this size and were
7:38:00infants when you got them.
7:38:02At least, I assume that they were
7:38:04newborns at the start of the school
7:38:05year.
7:38:07Bob asked.
7:38:08Eggs, actually.
7:38:11I got them all as eggs and I've raised
7:38:13them from that.
7:38:14Carl agreed.
7:38:16I think that I see now why the bureau is
7:38:18so excited to get their hands on you.
7:38:21You're growing at an insane rate and
7:38:23that always comes with an extra dose of
7:38:25good luck.
7:38:26Now, some people will look down on the
7:38:28luck factor, but luck is very real.
7:38:32Bob replied.
7:38:33Tell me about it.
7:38:35The church even gave me a good luck
7:38:37charm when we stopped by there to pick
7:38:39up a cleric after my last resource
7:38:40gathering mission.
7:38:42Carl agreed.
7:38:44You got a lucky charm from the church?
7:38:47What the dragon is the point of that?
7:38:49Anyone lucky enough to get one of their
7:38:51dragon scale luck charms doesn't need
7:38:53the bloody things anyhow.
7:38:55Doug laughed.
7:38:57The whole group laughed as Doug pulled a
7:38:59lucky dragon scale from under his robes,
7:39:01and then the others all did the same.
7:39:04All right, maybe they're not as rare as
7:39:06I might have thought they were.
7:39:08Carl corrected himself.
7:39:10Bob laughed.
7:39:12No, they really are.
7:39:14But like brother Doug said, those with
7:39:16good enough luck to get one don't need
7:39:18them.
7:39:19How did you think we all ended up
7:39:21together to form a super team?
7:39:23Pure blind luck.
7:39:25You really couldn't ask for a better
7:39:27group at our power level.
7:39:29I've got much stronger than usual
7:39:31defensive abilities for a warrior. We
7:39:33have both a barrier and a golem mage,
7:39:35plus a nature priest and a beast master,
7:39:37whose team not only includes a tank and
7:39:40an ambush attacker, but a flying scout.
7:39:43Compared to the average five-person
7:39:44team, which might not even have a
7:39:46competent cleric, as they just send
7:39:48whoever is available, our group is
7:39:50living at large.
7:39:52We don't even need to sleep on the
7:39:53ground. Ray made us this lovely
7:39:55treehouse, and Doug will have a hot meal
7:39:57ready in just a few minutes, since
7:39:59priests of the green dragon are capable
7:40:01of creating all sorts of food and not
7:40:03just the simple rice and beans.
7:40:06Doug tapped his cook pot with a wooden
7:40:08spoon.
7:40:09Speaking of which, there is food ready
7:40:12now.
7:40:13Just a simple veggie board, but that
7:40:15should hold you until I've got dinner
7:40:16cooked.
7:40:18Do Hawk and Ray need anything?
7:40:20I have meat stored for Hawk, and he
7:40:22doesn't really like anything else.
7:40:25Or at least I've never seen him
7:40:26interested in eating vegetables.
7:40:29Ray likes all sorts of things, from
7:40:31blood to insects and small monsters.
7:40:34But if her guess is right, she will be
7:40:36able to gorge herself on what comes to
7:40:38the webs tonight.
7:40:40Carl replied.
7:40:42In that case, just give this to Thor if
7:40:44you can.
7:40:45Doug agreed and handed Carl an armload
7:40:48of what looked like herbs.
7:40:50Carl passed it into the beast space for
7:40:52Thor, who sniffed at them carefully,
7:40:54then picked them up and mixed them into
7:40:56the mass of plants he had been eating.
7:40:58These are tasty.
7:41:00Thor mumbled as he tested the new
7:41:02concoction.
7:41:04He says they are very good, thanks.
7:41:07Carl relayed.
7:41:09Excellent.
7:41:10It's a spell that I don't get to use
7:41:12often because we're usually traveling by
7:41:14helicopter or car.
7:41:16It is intended for a mount, but it
7:41:18should be good for Thor as well.
7:41:20The cleric explained.
7:41:22Thor laughed at that, and Ray sent Carl
7:41:25the mental image of the cleric riding
7:41:27the sero and waving around his club.
7:41:29Carl couldn't resist laughing, and the
7:41:31group gave him strange looks.
7:41:34Sorry, they sent me mental images and
7:41:36some of them are funny.
7:41:38Ray was thinking about you riding Thor
7:41:40with your club flailing around to attack
7:41:42goblins.
7:41:44He informed them while trying not to
7:41:45keep laughing.
7:41:47The mages snickered, and Bob made his
7:41:49best gallant knight expression.
7:41:52Have at you, foul beasts.
7:41:55Brother Douglas and his noble steed Thor
7:41:57are here to smite you down.
7:41:59He joked.
7:42:01Doug got a pensive look on his face.
7:42:04You know, he's nearly shoulder height.
7:42:07I bet I could actually ride on his back.
7:42:10But he might be slippery without a
7:42:11saddle.
7:42:13Carl shook his head.
7:42:15Quite the opposite.
7:42:17His scales look shiny, but they've got
7:42:19the surface of a drake scale, and they
7:42:21would tear your clothing to bits when
7:42:22you shifted.
7:42:24The group looked a bit confused, likely
7:42:26because a lightning sero normally had
7:42:28smooth scales, but they didn't question
7:42:30how that had happened.
7:42:32Doug passed out plates of what looked
7:42:34like steak and potatoes with mixed
7:42:35veggies, and Carl gave his dinner an
7:42:38appreciative look.
7:42:39That's a mushroom, not a steak, but they
7:42:42taste pretty similar.
7:42:44Nature priest doesn't actually eat meat
7:42:46most of the time.
7:42:48One of the twin mages informed Carl.
7:42:51I won't argue.
7:42:53Good food is good food.
7:42:55If we can avoid eating the ration packs,
7:42:57I can avoid the internal chaos that they
7:42:59cause.
7:43:01He replied.
7:43:02Bob chuckled.
7:43:04Reducing toilet usage in the woods, you
7:43:06see.
7:43:08But you'll need a gallon of prune juice
7:43:10and some heartburn medicine when you get
7:43:11back.
7:43:13We will take the watch in order of age,
7:43:15so you've got the early morning shift,
7:43:17Carl.
7:43:18Can you cook at all?
7:43:20Doug asked.
7:43:22Carl's sad expression told them as much
7:43:24as his words.
7:43:25Not much.
7:43:27I started to learn after the last trip
7:43:29when I realized how useful of a skill it
7:43:31is, but I don't know much.
7:43:34That's fine.
7:43:35I am the oldest, so I have first watch
7:43:38and I will wake up with the dawn if
7:43:39there are no other issues.
7:43:41Is Ray good for the evening?
7:43:43She's still outside somewhere. Doug
7:43:46replied.
7:43:48Carl sent a thought out to find Ray, who
7:43:50was setting up webs near ground level to
7:43:52trap roaming monsters.
7:43:55She had already caught a few small
7:43:56monsters, but that wasn't enough for a
7:43:58full meal, and she was looking forward
7:44:00to the nocturnal monsters becoming
7:44:02active after she linked all her webs
7:44:04together.
7:44:05I only sleep an hour or two a day.
7:44:08If I rest in the space tomorrow while
7:44:10you walk, it is fine.
7:44:12She replied.
7:44:14She says she's good for the evening and
7:44:16she will sleep in the morning while we
7:44:18look for monsters.
7:44:20Carl told Doug with a glance down to
7:44:22where she was working.
7:44:24Not many things would pull her away from
7:44:26setting up her web the way that she
7:44:27wanted it, but Carl was certain that the
7:44:29sheer volume of webs in the area would
7:44:31scare any of the smarter monsters away
7:44:33from their position.
7:44:35Or it would when the sun came up and the
7:44:37monsters could see them again.
7:44:39Ray was becoming exceptionally skilled
7:44:41in making her webs blend in with their
7:44:43surroundings, where her early work had
7:44:45all been plain white silk.
7:44:48One of the twin mages woke Carl up a few
7:44:50hours before dawn to begin his watch,
7:44:52gently shaking the net beside his head
7:44:54to get him motivated.
7:44:56Carl smiled at her and whispered.
7:44:59Did you learn that from Ray?
7:45:01She gets upset when people shake the
7:45:03whole net instead of just a small bit
7:45:04near the head to wake people up.
7:45:07Danny smirked.
7:45:09She woke me up that way.
7:45:11She's down below somewhere again, but
7:45:13she will likely come back up when she
7:45:15has caught whatever appeared in her net.
7:45:17We haven't seen any action so far, but
7:45:20the new wave of monsters should be here
7:45:22by morning, so keep your eyes peeled.
7:45:25Nobody really knows when they will show
7:45:27up, and it doesn't seem to be a set
7:45:28time, but we do know that there are new
7:45:30ones daily.
7:45:32I'm going to get a bit more sleep. Wake
7:45:34me up for breakfast.
7:45:36Carl sat in silence and looked out over
7:45:38the hills and forests, letting time pass
7:45:41by as he scanned for signs of movement
7:45:43and life in the pre-dawn darkness.
7:45:45With Hawk's low-light vision and Ray's
7:45:47thermal vision capabilities, the
7:45:49movement in the forests was easy enough
7:45:51to track, though the canopy of leaves
7:45:53blocked both in many areas.
7:45:56However, it was not enough that Carl
7:45:58didn't notice when there were suddenly
7:45:59hundreds of new heat signatures in the
7:46:01area.
7:46:03They didn't come from one spot, like
7:46:04they were coming from a cave, they just
7:46:06appeared all over the forest all at
7:46:09once.
7:46:10Some even appeared right next to Ray's
7:46:12webs and walked right into them before
7:46:14they realized they were in danger.
7:46:17Her sense of victory as the prey flailed
7:46:19and shouted for someone to come save
7:46:20them filled Carl's mind, but the noise
7:46:23also woke everyone else up.
7:46:25The monsters just appeared everywhere.
7:46:28They're not coming from a cave or a set
7:46:30location. I saw them just appear all
7:46:32over the forest.
7:46:34Carl explained.
7:46:36What do you mean?
7:46:37How many can you see?
7:46:39Bob asked.
7:46:41With the gifts of low-light and thermal
7:46:43vision I gained from Hawk and Ray, I can
7:46:45clearly see for nearly 2 km.
7:46:49There are hundreds of goblin-sized
7:46:50creatures, a few dozen larger ones that
7:46:52I can see, and that's just what isn't
7:46:54hidden under the trees.
7:46:57I can't see through solid objects, so I
7:46:59know I'm missing most of them, but Ray
7:47:01is going wild killing the ones that are
7:47:03in her webs down below.
7:47:05That would be the noise that woke you
7:47:07up.
7:47:08Carl explained.
7:47:10Doug sighed.
7:47:11And that means that we are about to have
7:47:13a lot of unwanted company drawn here by
7:47:15the noise.
7:47:17Fortunately, it is still dark and their
7:47:19eyesight isn't any better than mine, so
7:47:21they're not going to find us in the
7:47:23trees, but we need to make sure that Ray
7:47:25doesn't get ambushed.
7:47:27Carl nodded.
7:47:28It's still dark, but it should start
7:47:30getting light soon when we can go down
7:47:32and start cleaning up the ones trapped
7:47:34in the webs.
7:47:36Do you want me and Hawk to go start
7:47:37silencing them now?
7:47:39Three of us in the dark will be faster
7:47:41than just Ray, and we can all see what
7:47:43we're doing.
7:47:45Doug and Bob both shook their heads.
7:47:47No, either we all go or we all stay.
7:47:51Safety protocol says don't send group
7:47:53members alone.
7:47:55Attack what you can without going so far
7:47:57from the group that we can't see you.
7:47:59Carl thought for a second, then nodded.
7:48:03All right, I will head down a few
7:48:04branches using the ladder as I can't
7:48:06attack through the fort without damaging
7:48:08it.
7:48:09But once I'm there, I can hit a lot of
7:48:11the nearby webs, and you'll be able to
7:48:13see me.
7:48:15Hawk, you go help Ray.
7:48:17Make sure she gets rid of the loud ones
7:48:19first and doesn't make them sing for
7:48:21her.
7:48:22We will hunt them all day long. There is
7:48:24no more need to bait and prey.
7:48:26I got a good thing.
7:48:28There is a tasty scaly biped here with
7:48:31snappy jaws and a shiny poking stick.
7:48:34Ray informed Carl.
7:48:36That made very little sense, but Carl
7:48:38congratulated her on her find and asked
7:48:41her to bring back the shiny poking stick
7:48:43when she had a chance.
7:48:45What he got in return was a thread of
7:48:47silk sprayed his way from where she was
7:48:48hunting, which he had to assume was
7:48:50attached to the prize.
7:48:52With a practiced motion, the same as
7:48:54coiling up a power cable in the mines,
7:48:56Carl began to pull the item up and found
7:48:59that she had recovered an
7:49:00obsidian-headed spear attached to a
7:49:02bamboo handle with excellent
7:49:03workmanship.
7:49:05It wasn't magical, but to his eyes, the
7:49:07translucent spearhead sparkled,
7:49:09reflecting the minimal light from both
7:49:11sides.
7:49:12Then, she put the body in her space, and
7:49:15Carl finally understood what she was
7:49:17talking about.
7:49:19It was a lizard man of some sort,
7:49:21currently missing a head, but larger
7:49:23than anyone in their group with a
7:49:24powerful-looking tail and a few crude
7:49:26bone ornaments.
7:49:28Carl whistled to get the others'
7:49:30attention.
7:49:31There was a lizard man in the web.
7:49:33It might not be all goblins in the group
7:49:35today.
7:49:37That got the group talking, making a
7:49:39plan for their hunting and defense based
7:49:41on the knowledge they had of how lizard
7:49:42men behaved.
7:49:44They were a common monster in the swampy
7:49:46areas, on the high side of common to the
7:49:48low awakened rank, but often gathering
7:49:50in large groups that would challenge the
7:49:52smaller teams who went to hunt that
7:49:54level of threat.
7:49:55Are there still goblins and ogres?
7:49:58Bob asked quietly.
7:50:00Carl looked around, verifying the few
7:50:02monsters in the region that he could
7:50:04spot from his vantage point now that
7:50:06they had mostly moved under cover of the
7:50:07forest.
7:50:09Yeah, I still see goblin-sized creatures
7:50:12and humanoids too big to be lizard men.
7:50:15I will point them out on the map for you
7:50:17when I get back up.
7:50:18Carl agreed.
7:50:20There were other beasts caught in Ray's
7:50:22web, and he was using Ren to dispatch
7:50:24them quickly before they could make too
7:50:26much noise and bring a force that the
7:50:27five of them couldn't deal with.
7:50:30Ren's range was limited, and they were
7:50:32well up into the tree, but with Ray and
7:50:34Hawk moving lower through the forest, it
7:50:36only took a half hour before they had
7:50:38everything in the immediate vicinity
7:50:40dead, butchered, and collected.
7:50:42They had gathered what they thought
7:50:43might be loot, but there were probably
7:50:45some things that didn't catch their
7:50:47attention.
7:50:48Nothing magical, though.
7:50:51Beasts could sense the magic on the
7:50:52items, and they would have brought it
7:50:54back if they had found anything.
7:50:56The pair returned to the fort, and Carl
7:50:59climbed back up to join the group as
7:51:00soon as he smelled Doug start cooking
7:51:02breakfast.
7:51:04The loot is at the bottom of the tree.
7:51:06We can collect it later.
7:51:09But first, I will show you where I saw
7:51:11the ogres appear and any other groups I
7:51:13remember.
7:51:14The ogres are still our primary target,
7:51:17right?
7:51:18Carl asked.
7:51:20They are.
7:51:21We need to keep the population of
7:51:23everything down, but the ogres are the
7:51:25strongest beings that we have been
7:51:26informed of in the area.
7:51:28Bob agreed.
7:51:30All right.
7:51:32Then we should check here, here, and
7:51:33here.
7:51:35Plus near the ridge line there.
7:51:37Those areas all had multiple large
7:51:39creatures, and some of them went behind
7:51:41the ridge.
7:51:43Then we had large groups of goblin-sized
7:51:45monsters here and here with scattered
7:51:47monsters everywhere else.
7:51:49Carl explained, tapping the map as he
7:51:51went.
7:51:53Bob nodded.
7:51:54All right, that's good. I will come up
7:51:57with an efficient route for us to cover
7:51:58today, and we will start hunting after
7:52:00we eat.
7:52:02The meal was similar to the one that
7:52:03Doug had made the night before, heavy on
7:52:05the potatoes, but this time Carl donated
7:52:08some of the awakened rank boar meat that
7:52:10Hawk had been ignoring.
7:52:12Now we're talking.
7:52:13Pork belly and potatoes is the real
7:52:15breakfast of champions.
7:52:18Bob chuckled.
7:52:19Doug rolled his eyes as he cast a spell
7:52:21that created some sort of white sauce in
7:52:23a pot on his camp stove and began to
7:52:26rummage in his pack until he found a
7:52:27tube that cracked open to reveal rolls
7:52:29of dough.
7:52:31Biscuit dough takes less room uncooked.
7:52:34The sauce is a form of coconut gravy,
7:52:36but with the pork grease, it should be
7:52:38pretty good.
7:52:40The cleric explained.
7:52:42It sounded a bit sketchy to Carl, but
7:52:44who was he to argue with the cook?
7:52:46There were chopped mushrooms in the mix
7:52:48with the potatoes, and he already knew
7:52:50they tasted like steak, so there was a
7:52:52good chance that the white sauce didn't
7:52:54taste like raw coconut.
7:52:56The meal was, again, surprisingly good.
7:53:00Though the coconut pork flavor of the
7:53:02gravy was certainly unexpected.
7:53:05Once they were finished, Bob led the
7:53:06group down the ladder with their packs
7:53:08in case something happened and they
7:53:10couldn't easily return to their fort
7:53:12tonight.
7:53:13It was always better to be safe, but
7:53:15with the amount of fighting that they
7:53:17were going to have to do very soon, Carl
7:53:19was questioning if they were even going
7:53:20to lose sight of the huge tree today.
7:53:23The mages seemed to be having the same
7:53:25thoughts, as they didn't have the
7:53:26superhuman strength to make the packs a
7:53:28negligible burden, but nobody openly
7:53:31questioned the leaders' decisions.
7:53:33That was a recipe for disaster out here,
7:53:36and any questions could wait until they
7:53:37were finished or at least on their lunch
7:53:39break.
7:53:41The pile at the bottom of the tree
7:53:42contained various metallic coins, shiny
7:53:45obsidian tools, and a few unknown
7:53:47ointments in leather pouches that Hawk
7:53:49and Ray had assumed must have some
7:53:50purpose.
7:53:52Ray had returned to her den in the beast
7:53:54space for the morning, while Hawk
7:53:55continued to scout.
7:53:58Thor was waiting in reserve, ready to
7:54:00fight at a moment's notice, but not
7:54:02wanting to be loud and distracting
7:54:03before it was time to fight.
7:54:05Likewise, the golems were not yet
7:54:07summoned, so the flanks were
7:54:09unprotected.
7:54:11Well, as much as they could be when they
7:54:12had a mage who specialized in barriers
7:54:14in the middle of the group.
7:54:16That was her position, so that if they
7:54:18had to defend themselves, both ends of
7:54:20the convoy were equal distances from
7:54:22her, allowing for a circular barrier,
7:54:25which was the quickest and easiest to
7:54:26create.
7:54:28Bob gestured through the trees.
7:54:30Our first target is the ridge line.
7:54:33That marks the edge of our zone, but if
7:54:35we see monsters just beyond it, we will
7:54:37go to help whatever team is working over
7:54:39there.
7:54:40Then we will follow that along the edge
7:54:42of our area and circle the perimeter,
7:54:44zigzagging through on the final leg to
7:54:46clear every likely hiding spot.
7:54:49We don't need to be perfect, but the
7:54:51more we get, the easier tomorrow will be
7:54:53and the day after that.
7:54:55Hawk was flying through the trees today
7:54:57instead of overhead, so he could see
7:54:59more of what was going on at ground
7:55:01level.
7:55:02They hadn't seen many monsters in the
7:55:04branches other than a few small insects
7:55:06and rodents, none of which were a threat
7:55:09to Hawk, but he still kept watch as
7:55:11having trees overhead made him nervous.
7:55:14He would rather be much higher, but from
7:55:16that height, he would miss things and be
7:55:18slow to assist when needed.
7:55:21You can go up if you'd like, buddy.
7:55:24We have a scout here on the ground, and
7:55:26you can warn us about the big things.
7:55:28Carl offered.
7:55:30Once you get to the ridge where the
7:55:32trees are thin.
7:55:34Hawk agreed.
7:55:35After that point, he would at least be
7:55:37able to see the ground as he flew
7:55:39overhead.
7:55:40The rest of their zone was more sparsely
7:55:42wooded with low pine trees that he could
7:55:45see between.
7:55:46It was just this one area where they had
7:55:48set up camp that had the worst
7:55:49visibility.
7:55:51But when Carl thought about that, he
7:55:53realized that their zone didn't actually
7:55:55cover the most likely spots for the
7:55:57monsters to hide.
7:55:59It was rugged terrain and a difficult
7:56:01spot to get to them, but most creatures
7:56:03would naturally go for the steeper
7:56:04cliffs or the larger trees, and not the
7:56:07region they were searching, where the
7:56:09ground was too rocky for dense forest.
7:56:12"How do these work zones get picked?"
7:56:14Carl whispered to Doug, who was in front
7:56:17of him in the line.
7:56:18"Grid squares on the map.
7:56:21We get a number when we are drawn or
7:56:22hired for the mission, and then the
7:56:24numbers are assigned to blocks on the
7:56:25map.
7:56:27We got a fairly easy one this time, no
7:56:29climbing gear required, and no huge
7:56:32bodies of water to traverse.
7:56:34But that also means that the monsters
7:56:36will naturally move through here.
7:56:38They don't usually hide, they go looking
7:56:40for food, fights, or whatever it is that
7:56:43motivates them."
7:56:45The cleric whispered back.
7:56:47That made sense.
7:56:49Carl had misunderstood the situation.
7:56:51The monsters weren't hiding and trying
7:56:53to build their numbers, they were just
7:56:55doing as they pleased, and that meant in
7:56:57the case of the goblins, they were
7:56:58looking for loot.
7:57:00They loved shiny things more than your
7:57:02average crow did, and they were happy to
7:57:04kill to get them.
7:57:06"Big green things!"
7:57:08Hawk cheered as he spotted something in
7:57:10the distance.
7:57:11"Big green things," Hawk says, "straight
7:57:14ahead."
7:57:15Carl warned the others.
7:57:18Bob prepared his guard ability, and the
7:57:20four wood golems were called out, as
7:57:22well as Thor, while Ray napped after
7:57:24working all night.
7:57:26The crashing noise of the creatures
7:57:28chasing an amused Hawk back in their
7:57:29direction was unmistakable, and Carl
7:57:32immediately wondered what the bird had
7:57:33done to annoy them.
7:57:35He could fly, surely they didn't think
7:57:37that they were going to catch him if
7:57:38they had just spotted him.
7:57:40Then Hawk came into sight, and everyone
7:57:43saw the young goblin in his claws.
7:57:46It was still alive and flailing, and the
7:57:48crashing was getting louder.
7:57:50"Hobgoblins!"
7:57:52Bob warned as the creatures came into
7:57:54sight, flanked by another dozen goblins.
7:57:57Hawk rotated upward as if avoiding the
7:58:00humans, and threw the small goblin back
7:58:02at its tribe, but hit it with a rend for
7:58:04good measure before it made it back to
7:58:06the ground.
7:58:07The hobgoblins flew into a rage,
7:58:09smashing at the trees, the ground, and
7:58:11anything in sight before spotting Bob
7:58:13and the other humans.
7:58:15"Grupada!"
7:58:17The largest of them screamed as it
7:58:19charged at them, and the warrior shook
7:58:21his head.
7:58:22The hobgoblin's club hit Bob's guard
7:58:24right as Carl hit the monster with a
7:58:26shred attack that took its head off, and
7:58:29two lightning attacks stunned and burnt
7:58:30the smaller goblins.
7:58:33Thor charged past Bob, spearing a
7:58:35hobgoblin through the legs with his
7:58:36upper horns, then throwing him into the
7:58:38air for Hawk to tear apart.
7:58:41The goblin tribe began to scatter as the
7:58:43lightning sero charged into the middle
7:58:45of them, but they had no sense of
7:58:46organization, and the two mages were
7:58:48quickly picking them off with small
7:58:50attacks, while the golems spread out to
7:58:52keep them from flanking the group.
7:58:54Thor circled back to make another pass
7:58:56at the hobgoblins, while the mages
7:58:58focused lightning on the small goblins,
7:59:01who couldn't survive even of chain
7:59:03lightning attacks from the twins.
7:59:05Carl stepped to the side so he could hit
7:59:07one of the hobgoblins with shred as Bob
7:59:09blocked its attack again, letting the
7:59:11club hit his shield and saving his
7:59:13energy by not extending guard to cover
7:59:15the whole area.
7:59:17That was the end of the tribe, and the
7:59:19group moved quickly to check the bodies
7:59:21in case the noise had brought any other
7:59:23threats their way.
7:59:25"Whole lot of nothing."
7:59:27"A few bits of gold jewelry and some
7:59:29gemstones.
7:59:30It will sell well when we get back, but
7:59:33not useful now."
7:59:35Doug noted as they finished.
7:59:37He cast some sort of spell on the group,
7:59:39and Carl began to feel refreshed, as if
7:59:41he had just had a good nap and a long
7:59:43shower.
7:59:45That wasn't what he had expected from
7:59:46their cleric, but it was a very welcome
7:59:48surprise.
7:59:50Bob led the group forward again, toward
7:59:52the ridge line, where they could hear
7:59:54the sound of trees being broken and
7:59:56occasional shouting.
7:59:58There was no doubt that their target was
7:59:59there, and that they would be able to
8:00:01find it without much work.
8:00:03He had already planned their combat
8:00:05strategy to have Ray held in reserve for
8:00:07evening watches, so the current
8:00:08formation was the golems surrounding the
8:00:10casters, with Carl in the rear and Thor
8:00:12at his right flank.
8:00:14The lightning sero made an impressive
8:00:16shield on his own, and having him on the
8:00:18warrior's sword side kept him from
8:00:20getting charged while he was fighting
8:00:21with his back turned.
8:00:23For a young beast, Thor had proven to be
8:00:25remarkably well adapted to combat
8:00:27strategy, and he seemed to instinctively
8:00:29know what to do.
8:00:31That was actually mostly Carl and Thor
8:00:33giving him insights into the situation
8:00:35and letting him make his own decisions,
8:00:37but the remainder was just his pure love
8:00:39for smashing things.
8:00:41"Hobgoblins, smashing poles and barriers
8:00:44had a lot in common.
8:00:46Everyone ready, there is a fight ahead,
8:00:48and we don't know who the other parties
8:00:50are."
8:00:51Bob warned the rest of the group as they
8:00:53approached the ridge.
8:00:55"The deep bellows should be an ogre, or
8:00:57possibly two of them, but the others
8:00:59weren't making any sounds that would
8:01:00give away their species.
8:01:02If they were lucky, the ogre would have
8:01:04come across an aggressive predator and
8:01:06both would be half dead when the group
8:01:08arrived to finish them off.
8:01:10But that was a lot of luck to ask for."
8:01:13He led them over the ridge, and Carl
8:01:15sensed Thor's joy as Hawk circled back
8:01:17to the immediate fight instead of
8:01:19scouting in the distance to make sure
8:01:20they didn't miss anything.
8:01:22"There were more people here.
8:01:24New people, including ones in white.
8:01:28The ones in white knew just how to rub
8:01:29his head ridges," Thor informed Carl
8:01:32smugly, as if he was a neglectful
8:01:34master.
8:01:35"The sero is with us."
8:01:37Bob shouted as he leveled his shield in
8:01:39front of himself and charged at the back
8:01:41of the group.
8:01:43Three ogres were leading a party of
8:01:44lizard men against another of the
8:01:46five-man teams, and the numeric
8:01:48advantage had put the humans on the
8:01:49defensive.
8:01:51Thor put his head down and bowled over
8:01:53the lizard men before spearing an ogre
8:01:55with his front horn in a place where no
8:01:56man would ever want to be speared.
8:01:59The ogre screamed in pain, but he was
8:02:01lifted onto his toes by the sero, and
8:02:03couldn't turn to effectively hit him.
8:02:06Carl and Hawk both threw a barrage of
8:02:08rend attacks at the giant humanoid, who
8:02:11was wearing crude leather pants and what
8:02:13looked like a flattened cook pot as
8:02:14chest armor.
8:02:16It was no match for the attacks, and
8:02:18blood began to flow freely from the
8:02:20wounds before Thor flipped his head to
8:02:22the side and dropped the ogre on the
8:02:23ground.
8:02:25He was under attack from both sides, and
8:02:27he lifted his tail to smash.
8:02:30"Earthquake incoming!"
8:02:32Carl warned, just in time for Bob to
8:02:34jump into the air before the skill
8:02:36activated and destabilized the lizard
8:02:38men warriors.
8:02:39"Nice skill."
8:02:41One of the twins laughed as she threw a
8:02:43pair of fireballs into the lizards,
8:02:45burning scales off and clearing the area
8:02:47around Thor.
8:02:49The other team of elites was regrouping
8:02:51while engaged in battle with the other
8:02:53two ogres.
8:02:55The sudden reversal had taken the
8:02:56monsters by surprise, and the lizard men
8:02:59weren't sure which group to deal with
8:03:00first, as their leader had been taken
8:03:02out entirely incidentally by one of the
8:03:04fireballs.
8:03:06Carl turned to the left as he sensed
8:03:08something hostile coming his way.
8:03:10Activating refreshing lightning to
8:03:12surround himself caused an obsidian
8:03:14dagger to glance off his throat as
8:03:15another group of monsters rushed out of
8:03:17the trees, screaming in goblin.
8:03:20The small green monsters were going to
8:03:22be a real nuisance, but Hawk was already
8:03:24moving downward on a strafing run,
8:03:26preparing to bait them in fire, and the
8:03:28two wood golems on that side were moving
8:03:30to intercept.
8:03:32Carl sent a wave of rend flying at the
8:03:35goblins with his sword, and the front
8:03:36line hit the ground, ducking underneath
8:03:39to save their lives, but leaving the
8:03:40second rank unaware of the imminent
8:03:42danger.
8:03:44The attack sliced them clean in half,
8:03:46and the ones behind them as well, but
8:03:48there were still more coming out of the
8:03:49trees and into Hawk's stream of fire.
8:03:52He flapped hard and moved back up to 50
8:03:54m in the air to get out of easy ranged
8:03:56attack range, but that put him in
8:03:58position to see more incoming enemies.
8:04:01"20 more scaly people behind the
8:04:03goblins."
8:04:04He warned.
8:04:06"Check the other side as well.
8:04:08I think we walked into a trap."
8:04:11Carl cautioned.
8:04:13"More lizard men are coming behind the
8:04:15goblins, like they're herding them to
8:04:16us."
8:04:18Carl warned as the cowardly little
8:04:19beasts halted and tried to run away from
8:04:21the wall of flames.
8:04:24The second group of humans was moving
8:04:25toward them, running past where Thor was
8:04:27fending off the last ogre with his tail,
8:04:30using earthquake directly on the
8:04:31creature's chest to send it flying.
8:04:34Their warriors were wounded, and they
8:04:36only had one mage and one cleric with
8:04:38them, but the cleric was a student from
8:04:40the seminary academy.
8:04:42He looked utterly terrified to be out
8:04:43here, but he had to be at least awakened
8:04:45rank to have been sent on this mission,
8:04:47and once he saw Doug, he began to gather
8:04:50his wits and remember his training.
8:04:52The two of them were enough to heal the
8:04:54minor wounds that the warriors had, but
8:04:56the mage was looking exhausted from
8:04:57keeping up defensive spells.
8:05:00The goblins and lizard men fell back,
8:05:02regrouping just like the humans were,
8:05:04while their reinforcements arrived.
8:05:07For a moment, it looked like the ogre
8:05:09that Thor hit with earthquake was going
8:05:11to get up, but as soon as it moved, it
8:05:13began coughing up blood and collapsed
8:05:15again, unwilling to try moving until its
8:05:17natural healing had more time to work.
8:05:20Bob assessed the situation.
8:05:23"I count 20 lizard men in total, some
8:05:25wounded.
8:05:27Under 30 goblins left, all terrified,
8:05:29and no more ogres.
8:05:32Mages, keep up the pressure with the
8:05:33fire spells, but don't burn too much
8:05:36mana.
8:05:37Thor, come to me and defend against
8:05:39frontal attacks.
8:05:41Carl and Hawk can deal with the attack
8:05:43side."
8:05:44Hawk was good with that.
8:05:46The lizard men couldn't throw those
8:05:48spears high enough to hit him.
8:05:50Ray woke up while they were catching
8:05:52their breath, and looked out at the
8:05:54battlefield.
8:05:55"You guys went wild while I was asleep.
8:05:58Which spot is mine?
8:06:00She asked.
8:06:02You can take the left flank of the
8:06:04lizard men.
8:06:05Hawk will attack from the right, and I
8:06:07will back you up.
8:06:09But most of our attacks will be going
8:06:11toward the middle, where their numbers
8:06:12are denser.
8:06:14Ray appeared behind a tree on Carl's
8:06:16left and adapted her short fur to match
8:06:18the tree bark.
8:06:20Ray is on the left.
8:06:22Carl warned the others.
8:06:24The mages relayed the meaning to the
8:06:26others in a whisper that the monsters
8:06:27wouldn't hear, and both sides prepared
8:06:29to attack.
8:06:31They're going to charge.
8:06:33Thor warned, just as the lizard men
8:06:35shouted something and the goblins did
8:06:37exactly that.
8:06:38They were met with a barrage of spells
8:06:40from the mages, while Carl and Thor
8:06:42aimed for the taller lizard men.
8:06:45They were the ones giving the orders and
8:06:47the best fighters of the group.
8:06:49Then Ray attacked, piercing two with her
8:06:51forelegs while biting the head off
8:06:53another, and the new arrivals screamed
8:06:55in terror.
8:06:56The warriors visibly steeled their
8:06:58resolve for a hard fight, not quite
8:07:00grasping that Ray was on their side, but
8:07:02Carl's attacks were precisely where they
8:07:04needed to be, keeping the other lizard
8:07:06men from being able to get close enough
8:07:08to properly attack Ray while she fought
8:07:10three on one.
8:07:11One was already dead, but he had been
8:07:13replaced with another, and the two who
8:07:15had taken her forelimb spikes through
8:07:17the chest were fading fast as lacerate
8:07:19prevented them from stopping the
8:07:20bleeding.
8:07:22A limb flashed out, leaving a long but
8:07:24shallow wound on the fresh target, and
8:07:26it began to gush blood, leaving the
8:07:28creature suddenly weakened to the point
8:07:30of dropping its spear.
8:07:32Carl finished the three with rend, and
8:07:34Hawk worked on the other side with shred
8:07:36and fireballs.
8:07:38The monsters were effectively
8:07:39surrounded, but they were determined,
8:07:41and the remaining lizard men charged
8:07:43through the burning grass into the line
8:07:44of warriors and Thor, who threw one high
8:07:46in the sky before thinking about his
8:07:48target.
8:07:50Incoming.
8:07:51Doug warned as a flying lizard man
8:07:53crashed into the group of casters.
8:07:56It wheezed as it tried to get to its
8:07:58feet, but Doug was faster, clubbing it
8:08:00on the head and knocking it out so the
8:08:02mages could finish it off with magic
8:08:04arrows.
8:08:05The fight wound down as the last of the
8:08:07lizard men was killed by the concerted
8:08:09efforts of the warriors, and the second
8:08:11team collapsed onto the ground in
8:08:13relief.
8:08:14You have no idea how thankful we are you
8:08:16showed up when you did.
8:08:18The attack seemed to go on forever. They
8:08:20just kept coming.
8:08:22The team leader thanked Bob with a tired
8:08:24smile.
8:08:26No problem.
8:08:27It's right at the edge of our territory
8:08:29for the search, and we heard the fight.
8:08:32There are more, unless you killed some
8:08:34ogres before we arrived.
8:08:36Our scout spotted at least 10 ogres this
8:08:39morning around our zone, and there are
8:08:41only three here.
8:08:42He replied.
8:08:44This battle still left them with plenty
8:08:46of questions, like if Hawk's description
8:08:48of big green things were all lizard men
8:08:50or a mix of them and hobgoblins.
8:08:53The fact that the lizard men had
8:08:55pressured the goblins into working for
8:08:56them wasn't too surprising, but allying
8:08:58with the ogres was.
8:09:01The two were both powerful in their own
8:09:02right, and they were notorious for not
8:09:04sharing well.
8:09:06Seeing them in the same spot was
8:09:08unusual, but if they had all arrived
8:09:10last night, then they hadn't had time to
8:09:12stake their territories yet, and there
8:09:14would be some level of power struggle
8:09:15between the species as they worked to
8:09:17establish themselves.
8:09:19Doug brought over a waterskin for the
8:09:21others and motioned for them to stay
8:09:23seated.
8:09:24Catch your breath. Maybe get a bite to
8:09:26eat before you move out again.
8:09:28We've got to keep going and search our
8:09:30zone, but we will wait here until you've
8:09:32recovered a bit.
8:09:34The cleric assured them.
8:09:36We will call in the incident.
8:09:38If things got that bad for us, then the
8:09:41other groups need to be warned as well.
8:09:43With two groups working together, it was
8:09:45easy enough, but solo, they could be in
8:09:48trouble, and I heard that we're not the
8:09:49only ones who have a student with us.
8:09:52The other team leader informed them.
8:09:55Doug nodded and gestured toward Carl.
8:09:58We have one with us as well.
8:10:00The beastmaster, who Sarah thinks that
8:10:02lizard men are lawn darts.
8:10:05Carl chuckled and Thor looked
8:10:06embarrassed.
8:10:08The warriors weren't too worried about
8:10:10it, and they patted him on the side in
8:10:11assurance that they weren't upset.
8:10:14But when Ray returned to stand behind
8:10:16Carl, the others were visibly concerned.
8:10:19This is Ray.
8:10:21She's the ambush attacker of the team.
8:10:24Effective, isn't it?
8:10:26Carl asked.
8:10:28Beyond effective.
8:10:30One scratch and that lizard man warrior
8:10:32nearly bled out.
8:10:34Is that lacerate?
8:10:36The mage from the new group wondered.
8:10:39Indeed, it is.
8:10:41I hadn't thought that it would be so
8:10:42effective, but I have underestimated her
8:10:44skills many times in the past.
8:10:47Carl agreed.
8:10:49Bob nodded.
8:10:50We all do.
8:10:52The bloodbath spiders are a force to be
8:10:54reckoned with, and Ray is talented well
8:10:56beyond the average.
8:10:58She even made us a safe fort last night
8:11:00so that nothing could sneak up on us.
8:11:03The student cleric looked like he might
8:11:05cry at that bit of news.
8:11:07Safe places to sleep?
8:11:10That's unfair.
8:11:11We were attacked five times last night.
8:11:15If you counted every monster that was
8:11:16caught in the nets, Carl's team had
8:11:18likely seen more attacks last night, but
8:11:20none of them got close enough to bother
8:11:22them until the last one in the morning.
8:11:25The appearance was a few hours before
8:11:27dawn this time, so if you clear the area
8:11:29around your camp well, then you should
8:11:31have it fairly easy for the first part
8:11:32of the night.
8:11:34Bob suggested, running a hand through
8:11:36his short black hair in concern as he
8:11:38thought of ways to make a secure camp.
8:11:41Thanks.
8:11:42I think that we will move tonight.
8:11:45There is a nice cave in our area, and
8:11:47that only has one entrance, which should
8:11:49be easy enough to block off.
8:11:51From experience, the monsters usually
8:11:53don't appear right on top of anything
8:11:55else that's living.
8:11:57The second group leader ate a protein
8:11:59bar in a few mouthfuls and got his team
8:12:01back on their feet.
8:12:03Good luck out there.
8:12:05We have handhelds set to channel six if
8:12:07you need to contact us on the shortwave
8:12:09radio.
8:12:10He reminded Bob, who nodded and took a
8:12:12small radio out of his pocket to change
8:12:15the channel.
8:12:16We will monitor channel six as well.
8:12:19Stay safe.
8:12:21The two groups went their separate ways,
8:12:23and Hawk began to scout the route ahead,
8:12:25looking for monsters that might be near
8:12:27their route, but not quite on it.
8:12:30Now that Ray was awake, she joined him,
8:12:32rushing off into the trees to see what
8:12:34she could find, but only after using the
8:12:36leather vest of a lizard man to clean
8:12:38the blood off her legs.
8:12:40Carl's group left all the possible loot
8:12:42to the other group, partially because it
8:12:44was in their area, but mostly because
8:12:46they would need something to pick up
8:12:47their spirits after having a close call
8:12:49in the wilderness.
8:12:51Once they were well away from the other
8:12:53group, Doug stepped back to walk beside
8:12:55Carl.
8:12:56I hope you're not all rattled by the
8:12:58situation back there.
8:13:00Things like that sometimes happen, and
8:13:02it doesn't always have the best outcome.
8:13:05You know how it is. We might be elites,
8:13:07but when it comes to taking care of
8:13:09monster threats, we're still the low man
8:13:11on the scrotum pole.
8:13:13The cleric explained.
8:13:15Carl gave him a curious look at the
8:13:17unfamiliar phrase, and the mages
8:13:19laughed.
8:13:21What he means is we don't have the power
8:13:22or the seniority, so we get screwed.
8:13:26If it were a more valuable group out
8:13:27here, they would have sent artillery and
8:13:29conventional troops with us.
8:13:32You know, keep us safe.
8:13:34But we're not famous or particularly
8:13:36wealthy, and power makes the world go
8:13:38round.
8:13:39One of the twins explained.
8:13:42Bob cleared his throat.
8:13:44Come on now, no need to scare the
8:13:46newbie.
8:13:47Besides, give him another year, and he
8:13:50will likely be up with the commanders,
8:13:52drinking fine whiskey and choosing the
8:13:53teams to go with.
8:13:55Doug shrugged.
8:13:57It's just part of life.
8:13:59The strong rule the weak.
8:14:02But we're all civilized, so it's not as
8:14:04obvious as it is with the animals.
8:14:07If you want to find out how benevolent
8:14:08the world really is, try to directly say
8:14:11no to one of their requests.
8:14:13Carl smiled and patted the priest on the
8:14:15shoulder.
8:14:17I seem to recall playing a similar game
8:14:19with the foreman at the mines.
8:14:21He would promise something in exchange
8:14:23for added productivity, usually a time
8:14:25and a quarter pay bonus for the day, and
8:14:27we would do just enough to get it done.
8:14:30But dragons help you if you failed
8:14:32because they would dock you for every
8:14:33imagined infraction that month.
8:14:36The cleric smirked back.
8:14:38The green dragons always like it when
8:14:40people understand how things work.
8:14:42Perhaps you're more in tune with nature
8:14:44because of your class.
8:14:46Or perhaps your class is because you
8:14:48understand how things work a bit better
8:14:50than the average.
8:14:52I have a theory that the markings are
8:14:53actually perfectly suited to everyone
8:14:55who gets them, and that some people just
8:14:57can't accept that aspect of themselves.
8:15:00That's an interesting way of looking at
8:15:02it.
8:15:03But you might be right.
8:15:05I think the hard part is telling the
8:15:06ones who aren't all that good at their
8:15:08class that they likely wouldn't be
8:15:09better at another.
8:15:11You're all ascended rank, I believe, so
8:15:14you're not at the very bottom, but there
8:15:15are seniors at the academy who have
8:15:17barely broken into awakened rank.
8:15:20They wouldn't take it well.
8:15:22The mages smiled at him.
8:15:24That's why we're hoping to push for
8:15:26commander after this mission.
8:15:28If we can get a decent resource or two,
8:15:30maybe something that helps with growth,
8:15:32we should be able to make it past the
8:15:34test.
8:15:35There aren't nearly as many commanders
8:15:37as there are ascended elites, and they
8:15:39get a lot more respect.
8:15:41They also get the better resources.
8:15:44There is a whole collection of commander
8:15:46rank resources that are nearly
8:15:47impossible to get for anyone else.
8:15:50Carl nodded in understanding.
8:15:53Well then, I hope that we come across
8:15:55something beneficial.
8:15:57It's always good to have friends in high
8:15:58places.
8:16:00Their joking was interrupted by Ray
8:16:02returning silently and spinning a web
8:16:04across the trees in the direction that
8:16:06she arrived from.
8:16:07There are more ogres coming.
8:16:10They will be here in a few seconds.
8:16:12She warned.
8:16:14They saw you.
8:16:16Carl asked.
8:16:18No, Hawk threw a tree monkey at them.
8:16:21There are ogres incoming.
8:16:23Everyone in position to defend from the
8:16:25direction of the web.
8:16:27Carl warned the group.
8:16:29Already?
8:16:30I wasn't expecting to find another group
8:16:32of monsters for hours.
8:16:35They have a habit of wandering out of
8:16:36your path as you search for them.
8:16:39Doug muttered.
8:16:40Thor gave a soft laugh, well aware of
8:16:43what was going on, and the cleric
8:16:44immediately became suspicious.
8:16:47They lured them to us, didn't they?
8:16:50It won't be Thor. He would have just
8:16:52made noise.
8:16:53So, is it Ray or Hawk that got bored and
8:16:56wanted to fight more?
8:16:57The cleric wondered.
8:16:59Carl gave him a startled look, which
8:17:01made the others laugh.
8:17:03You will find that he's pretty good with
8:17:05all things nature, including both plants
8:17:07and animals.
8:17:09Bob informed him.
8:17:11The stomping sound of ogres was
8:17:12accompanied by the shrieking of monkeys
8:17:15and the sound of Hawk's screech as he
8:17:16taunted the giant monsters.
8:17:19What in the world is the bird doing?
8:17:21Did I just see him throw a tree monkey
8:17:23at an ogre?
8:17:25Danny asked, pointing at Hawk as he flew
8:17:27overhead.
8:17:29They were in a sparsely treed area where
8:17:31Hawk could easily attack from overhead,
8:17:33and the group could defend themselves
8:17:34without anything getting in the way, but
8:17:36with enough growth around for the wood
8:17:38golems to easily grab weapons.
8:17:41Most likely.
8:17:42It's one of his favorite tricks to taunt
8:17:44monsters.
8:17:46He actually learned it from the tree
8:17:47monkeys, but he uses them as projectiles
8:17:50instead of throwing nuts and sticks at
8:17:52people.
8:17:53Carl explained as the ogres stormed into
8:17:55sight and Hawk settled into the branches
8:17:57of a tree behind them.
8:18:00The enraged monsters almost looked
8:18:01grateful for a moment, like they were
8:18:03thinking that the Hawk had lured them
8:18:05here to kill the humans, but then it
8:18:07turned to hatred for the humans, and
8:18:09they pulled out their weapons to attack.
8:18:11None of the blades looked all that
8:18:13special, but there was a ring on one of
8:18:15their fingers that Ray and Hawk both
8:18:16recognized as magic.
8:18:19With only three targets, the flurry of
8:18:21spells that came from the human team was
8:18:23overwhelming, and the ogres stumbled to
8:18:25a stop even before Thor hit them with an
8:18:27earthquake and knocked them to the
8:18:28ground to be finished off.
8:18:30That was easier than expected.
8:18:33Bob sighed as he realized that the
8:18:35monsters weren't even going to make it
8:18:36to him this time.
8:18:38I think they're on the weaker side of
8:18:40awakened.
8:18:41Is that normal?
8:18:43I thought that the ogres were supposed
8:18:45to be nearly ascended.
8:18:47Carl asked.
8:18:48Everyone turned to Doug for an answer,
8:18:50and he just shrugged.
8:18:52It varies.
8:18:54There are strong and weak ones, but I
8:18:56don't know enough about them to tell
8:18:58them apart.
8:18:59But what is that magical ring?
8:19:02That might be a useful item for someone.
8:19:05Danny walked over and used her dagger to
8:19:07cut the finger containing the ring off
8:19:08the ogre, then slid the ring free and
8:19:11wiped it clean on a large leaf.
8:19:13There is some sort of inscription on it.
8:19:16Give me a moment and I think that I can
8:19:17translate it.
8:19:19It should be written in the ancient
8:19:21arcane language.
8:19:23She explained.
8:19:24It took her a few minutes to decipher
8:19:26the faded inscription, but when she did,
8:19:29she had to resist the urge to laugh.
8:19:31It is a magical item that is supposed to
8:19:33increase wisdom.
8:19:35Either it is broken, or he was in the
8:19:37running for the world's dumbest person
8:19:39to chase Hawk into a trap.
8:19:41She joked.
8:19:43Bob shrugged.
8:19:45It increases wisdom, not intelligence.
8:19:48He figured out that Hawk wanted him to
8:19:50follow easily enough.
8:19:52He just wasn't smart enough to realize
8:19:54that we were too strong for him to
8:19:56handle.
8:19:57The mage slid the ring over her wrist
8:19:59like a bangle and frowned as she didn't
8:20:01feel any discernible difference.
8:20:03Well, it might add up.
8:20:06Maybe it is a long-term thing that will
8:20:07help with your mana growth.
8:20:10Doug suggested.
8:20:12Once the bodies were clean of anything
8:20:13valuable, Doug cast a spell that caused
8:20:16them to sink into the ground, letting
8:20:17the forest absorb them as nutrients
8:20:19instead of leaving the obvious and
8:20:21rotting corpses out to attract more
8:20:23monsters and stink up the area.
8:20:25This is going to be a long mission,
8:20:27isn't it?
8:20:28Carl sighed as Hawk updated him on the
8:20:30nearby monsters.
8:20:32There were more than a few, and at least
8:20:34three groups of goblins, one of which
8:20:37Hawk was taking care of now.
8:20:39Doug gave him a soft smile.
8:20:42They always are.
8:20:44But once we have cleared the area,
8:20:45tomorrow shouldn't be as heavy, and then
8:20:47it will just be maintenance.
8:20:50Some days we will barely get anything in
8:20:52an entire zone, and some days will be
8:20:54like this, where we will get dozens of
8:20:56them.
8:20:57Bob led them toward a group of goblins,
8:20:59while Ray joined Hawk in searching out
8:21:01the final group that he had identified.
8:21:04The common rank creatures were no threat
8:21:06to the two of them, and they could move
8:21:07through the forest much faster than the
8:21:09humans.
8:21:11It was just the more powerful monsters
8:21:13that everyone was worried about, but
8:21:14Carl knew firsthand that if the goblins
8:21:16weren't dealt with, they would be an
8:21:18existential threat to the regular
8:21:20townsfolk.
8:21:21A single pair of fireball spells took
8:21:23out the small goblin camp, and Bob
8:21:25paused a moment to mark the location on
8:21:27his map.
8:21:29They were almost to the far side of
8:21:30their zone already, and it was time to
8:21:32start turning back so they would get to
8:21:34their fort before dark.
8:21:36Hawk and Ray were still scouring the
8:21:38area, but something was off.
8:21:41The area was far too quiet.
8:21:44Where there had been a variety of
8:21:45monsters in the area at the start of the
8:21:47day, not even the small ones were around
8:21:49this area.
8:21:50Everyone could feel that something was
8:21:52off, but none of them could locate the
8:21:54source of the wrongness, and no matter
8:21:56how many times the two beasts circled
8:21:58the area, they didn't find anything that
8:22:00would indicate what could be causing the
8:22:01Everyone could feel that something was
8:22:03off, but none of them could locate the
8:22:05source of the wrongness, and no matter
8:22:07how problem.
8:22:09Bob frowned in annoyance.
8:22:11I will mark this area on the map for
8:22:13tomorrow.
8:22:14It might be a lingering problem or
8:22:16something about the area's composition
8:22:18that is scaring all the monsters away.
8:22:21We should keep moving, though.
8:22:23We need to finish our route before it
8:22:25gets dark.
8:22:26But the greatest travesty of the day was
8:22:28only now happening, and it was only when
8:22:30they reached the immediate vicinity of
8:22:32their fort that it became obvious.
8:22:35Some thieving bastard stole my snacks.
8:22:38Ray shouted in Carl's mind as she
8:22:40searched her webs.
8:22:42She could smell another monster, and it
8:22:44hadn't freed the creatures that had been
8:22:45trapped. It had taken advantage of her
8:22:47absence to kill them and take them for
8:22:49itself.
8:22:51Keep your eyes open.
8:22:53Something looted Ray's webs, and it
8:22:55might still be in the area.
8:22:57Carl warned the group.
8:22:59That's brave.
8:23:01It had to realize what or who those webs
8:23:03belonged to, and that they weren't long
8:23:05abandoned.
8:23:07If it was desperate enough to loot them
8:23:08today, it's likely starving.
8:23:11Doug noted.
8:23:13Or it's stupid and arrogant.
8:23:15Bob added.
8:23:17Doug smiled.
8:23:19That's always a possibility.
8:23:21But if it comes back to check again
8:23:23while Ray is here, it's in for a bad
8:23:25night.
8:23:26How much did it steal?
8:23:28Carl waited for Ray to answer as she
8:23:30inventoried her loot and threw the
8:23:32bodies into the beast space.
8:23:34Four webs, at least 15 small monsters,
8:23:37all common grade, none of them goblins.
8:23:40She replied, outraged.
8:23:43She says at least 15 small common grade
8:23:46monsters.
8:23:47Carl relayed.
8:23:49For a moment, he thought that the mages
8:23:51were going to say something about those
8:23:53not being valuable creatures, but then
8:23:55they seemed to realize that Ray didn't
8:23:56care about the danger level.
8:23:59She was planning to eat them, and
8:24:00someone had stolen her dinner right off
8:24:02her proverbial plate.
8:24:04So, it's likely not a powerful creature,
8:24:07and it can navigate the webs well enough
8:24:09to not get entangled itself.
8:24:11We will have to watch for another spider
8:24:13tonight.
8:24:14Doug decided.
8:24:16And make sure that our fort is secure
8:24:18before we enter.
8:24:20It might have tried to move in or leave
8:24:22traps for us.
8:24:24Some forms of monster spiders have
8:24:26poisonous webs to weaken their prey.
8:24:29Bob added.
8:24:30Ray scurried up the tree and scented the
8:24:32area.
8:24:34It didn't come up here.
8:24:36But I know the scent now, and I will
8:24:37find it if it comes back to steal from
8:24:39me again.
8:24:41She says it's clear. We can head up.
8:24:44Before they headed up to the fort, an
8:24:46irate Ray had finished checking her
8:24:47catch and returned to her space to have
8:24:49a nap before evening descended, and she
8:24:51went on guard to make sure that nobody
8:24:53else was going to steal from her.
8:24:55She had been active all day, so Carl
8:24:58didn't begrudge her the rest.
8:25:00Thor was returning to his space as well,
8:25:02since he couldn't climb to the fort, and
8:25:04Hawk had already settled into the nest
8:25:06he made in the fort last night.
8:25:08That might be the reason that nothing
8:25:10came up.
8:25:11It would have smelled like Hawk and
8:25:13humans to them, and that would be enough
8:25:15to repel most forms of common monsters.
8:25:18Even in her sleep, Carl could sense
8:25:20Ray's annoyance.
8:25:22The thief was most likely just some
8:25:24common grade monster who saw an
8:25:25opportunity and took it, but she took it
8:25:27very personally.
8:25:29In her space, there were no threats, and
8:25:32things stayed where she put them. So,
8:25:33when someone looted her webs in the real
8:25:35world, she was not mentally prepared.
8:25:38Doug prepared dinner again, and Carl
8:25:40relaxed against the wall of the fort as
8:25:42they all waited for the food to be
8:25:44ready.
8:25:45Aren't you afraid of falling?
8:25:47One of the mages asked, and Carl opened
8:25:50his eyes to look their way.
8:25:52"Honestly, not really.
8:25:54It's a strange thing, but I don't have
8:25:56any sort of fear of heights.
8:25:59With the durability that I have, I
8:26:01likely wouldn't suffer too badly if I
8:26:03did fall, but here with the wall at my
8:26:05back, it doesn't concern me in the
8:26:07least."
8:26:08He replied with a shrug.
8:26:10"It's got to be a class thing.
8:26:13Even for the warriors, the fear of
8:26:14heights and sense of vertigo is
8:26:16inherited.
8:26:18Bob wouldn't be seriously injured either
8:26:20unless he landed on his head, but even
8:26:22he stays closer to the middle of the
8:26:23net."
8:26:25She explained.
8:26:27Hawk thought that the whole conversation
8:26:28was funny.
8:26:30Carl couldn't fly, but a little fall
8:26:32wouldn't hurt him.
8:26:34"Maybe you should grow wings."
8:26:36Hawk suggested.
8:26:38"And how do you suggest that I do that?"
8:26:41Carl replied.
8:26:43"Attach them to your uniform.
8:26:45I saw a video of soldiers with a big
8:26:47round net over their heads, and they
8:26:49could float.
8:26:50Wings can't be that much harder."
8:26:53Hawk replied with absolute certainty.
8:26:56"That's a parachute.
8:26:58It does let them float fairly well, but
8:27:00actually flying is harder for humans.
8:27:03We're heavy."
8:27:05Hawk lost interest when Carl announced
8:27:07that he wouldn't be able to fly, but the
8:27:09idea was an intriguing one.
8:27:11If he had a hang glider or a squirrel
8:27:13suit like the extreme sports people on
8:27:15TV, he might actually be able to nearly
8:27:18fly and attack monsters from the sky.
8:27:21Hawk would love it.
8:27:23They settled in for their usual watches
8:27:25after dinner, and at some point during
8:27:27the night, Ray woke up to patrol her
8:27:29webs because she was awake and in a much
8:27:31better mood when Carl was gently shaken
8:27:33awake for his watch.
8:27:35"Did you find something good on your
8:27:36web?"
8:27:37Carl asked as he sensed her change of
8:27:39mood.
8:27:41"I found a very good thing.
8:27:43The stupid thief is a box tree spider
8:27:45family."
8:27:46Ray replied.
8:27:48Carl wasn't sure why that was a
8:27:50particularly good answer, so he thought
8:27:52about what he knew of the species.
8:27:54They were scavengers that blended in
8:27:56perfectly with tree bark and could
8:27:58flatten their bodies to avoid detection.
8:28:01That was fairly benign.
8:28:03They were also a common grade spider and
8:28:05barely considered a magical creature as
8:28:08their only supernatural ability was
8:28:09their ability to disguise themselves so
8:28:12perfectly.
8:28:13Fortunately, Ray felt like explaining.
8:28:17"I talked to them, and they're very
8:28:18sorry for stealing from me.
8:28:20But we have an agreement.
8:28:23I will leave webs here for them to use,
8:28:25and in exchange, they will keep anything
8:28:27from climbing up our tree while we are
8:28:29away.
8:28:30Then when we have to go for a long time,
8:28:32they can take over our den until we
8:28:34return."
8:28:35That would likely end poorly for the box
8:28:37tree spiders when another group came
8:28:39here and saw the fort, but for some
8:28:41time, they would be able to live in
8:28:43peace, and the stronger webs that Ray
8:28:45made would trap prey much more
8:28:46effectively than the ones they could
8:28:48make themselves.
8:28:50They weren't actually web-building
8:28:51spiders, they were burrowing and hiding
8:28:53spiders, and they would either ambush
8:28:55the weak or scavenge other monsters'
8:28:57kills.
8:28:58"I will warn the others when they wake
8:29:00up."
8:29:01Carl informed her.
8:29:03It was a quiet morning, and by the time
8:29:06that the sun came up, there still hadn't
8:29:08been a large-scale appearance of
8:29:09monsters.
8:29:11Carl was still dutifully watching, but
8:29:13there was nothing.
8:29:15Their area was only 5 km in either
8:29:17direction, and he could see it all from
8:29:19here, but the spawn hadn't happened at
8:29:21the same time.
8:29:23Slowly, the others woke up, and everyone
8:29:25turned to Carl for the morning update.
8:29:28"Nothing major to report.
8:29:30Ray has a working agreement with a group
8:29:32of box tree spiders to look after the
8:29:34tree and the webs while we're away, but
8:29:36the spawn hasn't happened yet.
8:29:39I don't see much of anything out there.
8:29:41There were a few small signatures we
8:29:43didn't get to yesterday, but I haven't
8:29:45seen any influx of monsters yet."
8:29:48He explained.
8:29:49"That's fine.
8:29:51It's not a precise thing.
8:29:53They will show up at some point today.
8:29:56We just need to keep watch on our area
8:29:58and keep the numbers down.
8:30:00If that means we leave later in the
8:30:02morning, we will take advantage of that
8:30:04to get a bit more rest.
8:30:06Can you send Hawk out to scout the edge
8:30:08of the surrounding regions as well?
8:30:10Just in case everything spawned outside
8:30:12our area.
8:30:14If he sees anything, we can radio it to
8:30:16the other teams, so they're not caught
8:30:18by surprise."
8:30:20Bob suggested.
8:30:22"I think so.
8:30:24From 1,000 m in the air, Hawk can see
8:30:26quite a distance, and he should be able
8:30:28to tell if there are any large monster
8:30:30groups moving through the surrounding
8:30:31zones.
8:30:335 km isn't all that far for his
8:30:35eyesight, though he might not be able to
8:30:37track mice from that far away."
8:30:40That made Hawk laugh a little.
8:30:42Indeed, 5 km was too far to find mice
8:30:45from,
8:30:47but it was close enough he would have no
8:30:49problem finding goblins and wolves.
8:30:52Ogres couldn't hide from him even from
8:30:5320 km away unless they could hide under
8:30:56the canopy of the trees, and on one
8:30:58side, that wasn't even an option.
8:31:01Hawk headed up to get a proper view of
8:31:03what was going on in the area, while
8:31:05Carl heard helicopters in the distance.
8:31:08The others didn't seem to notice, but it
8:31:10was more than one, and they were coming
8:31:12from multiple directions.
8:31:14"Hey, how often does an area like this
8:31:16get supplies and reinforcements?
8:31:19Do they cycle through a portion of the
8:31:20people every few days?"
8:31:23he asked.
8:31:24"No, why?"
8:31:26"Normally, there wouldn't be any more
8:31:28activity in the area until we leave."
8:31:31Doug replied.
8:31:33"There are multiple helicopters headed
8:31:35in this direction.
8:31:36Some from there, and more from here and
8:31:39here."
8:31:40Carl explained, gesturing toward the
8:31:42noises.
8:31:43"Can Hawk see them well enough to tell
8:31:45us what they look like?"
8:31:47Doug replied.
8:31:49"He can't see them at all.
8:31:51I can hear them, though.
8:31:54If the seniors from the academy had
8:31:55either a really good or bad time, they
8:31:58might account for one or two of them,
8:32:00but they're coming from multiple
8:32:01directions."
8:32:02Carl informed the others.
8:32:05"That is strange.
8:32:07Perhaps there was a delay with some of
8:32:08the teams.
8:32:10Can Carl see anyone else in the area?
8:32:13Humans, that is."
8:32:15Bob asked.
8:32:16"Three groups of humans are active in
8:32:18the distance.
8:32:20The ones we met yesterday, one between
8:32:22us and the camp, and one more on the far
8:32:24side of those, further down the river.
8:32:27I can see their campfire from here."
8:32:30Carl relayed that, and Bob nodded before
8:32:33answering.
8:32:34"There should be another group beside
8:32:36us, but there isn't.
8:32:38It might be groups showing up a day
8:32:39behind.
8:32:41They might have just reused the same
8:32:43helicopters, so not everyone got picked
8:32:45up on the same day.
8:32:47To keep this level of control on the
8:32:49area needs a lot of people, and there
8:32:51are only so many elites.
8:32:53Once they feel that it is under control,
8:32:55they will move us further apart with
8:32:57larger areas to cover.
8:32:59The surrounding teams were essentially
8:33:01hunting blind as they had no reliable
8:33:03way to find the monsters within their
8:33:05zones, and they wouldn't trust Hawk
8:33:07directly, but Bob had the answer for
8:33:09that.
8:33:10He relayed the scouted directions that
8:33:12Hawk had given them in relation to the
8:33:13other groups, and they adjusted their
8:33:15search patterns to find the monsters
8:33:17that had eluded them.
8:33:19None of the zones had nearly as many
8:33:20monsters as yesterday, and with Hawk
8:33:22scouting, they could keep a constant eye
8:33:25on their zone for the moment when the
8:33:26spawn appeared.
8:33:28Doug smiled as Bob relayed another set
8:33:30of directions, moving a team just a
8:33:32little to the left to let them stumble
8:33:34upon a hidden enclave of lizard men.
8:33:36The beasts were just as shocked as the
8:33:38humans as they had thought that their
8:33:40hiding spot was imperceptible.
8:33:43Perhaps from ground level it was, but it
8:33:45was easily spotted from the sky.
8:33:48Hawk was loving his new role.
8:33:50He got to send people to go fight with
8:33:52whatever he wanted them to, and then
8:33:54watch the outcome while he looked for
8:33:55more targets for him.
8:33:57It felt like he had become a king.
8:34:00The royal hawk, deciding the fate of the
8:34:02soldiers on the ground.
8:34:04But maybe that meant he was a general.
8:34:07Could he apply for commander rank
8:34:09because he was a good commander?
8:34:11It certainly sounded logical to him.
8:34:14Carl just did his best to keep the bird
8:34:16on task and not let him forget to keep
8:34:18scanning their own zone along with the
8:34:20occupied surrounding areas.
8:34:23There was one side of their own zone
8:34:24that had no guards right now, but it
8:34:26also had very few monsters.
8:34:29If there wasn't anyone going to that
8:34:31location, then Bob fully intended to
8:34:33have his group cover it tomorrow, but
8:34:35for now, it was an insignificant threat.
8:34:38The zone was on the far side of them
8:34:40from the nearest populated areas, so if
8:34:42they were going to threaten the towns,
8:34:44they would have to pass by the area that
8:34:46protecting.
8:34:48But the few monsters there weren't
8:34:49showing any signs of motion. They were
8:34:51just settling in to live daily lives,
8:34:53hunt for food, and build camps.
8:34:56Then, just after lunch, the sound of
8:34:58helicopters returned.
8:35:01Three of the large transports were
8:35:02incoming toward their position, flying
8:35:04slowly over the forest as if scouting
8:35:07the area for threats.
8:35:09"Team McKenzie, this is extraction four,
8:35:11come in.
8:35:13Please report your position."
8:35:15the radio requested.
8:35:17That made no sense at all, and Carl
8:35:19quickly called Hawk and Ray back to
8:35:21their spaces before the incoming
8:35:23helicopters could mistake them for
8:35:24threats.
8:35:26"This is Bob McKenzie. We are at
8:35:2818.3002°
8:35:30North, 64.8252°
8:35:34West, currently engaged in ranged
8:35:36scouting from an elevated position."
8:35:38Bob replied.
8:35:40"Prepare for extraction.
8:35:43We are relocating you to a priority
8:35:44zone.
8:35:46The pilot replied,
8:35:48"Understood.
8:35:50There is a suitable clearing next to the
8:35:51largest ironwood tree in the area.
8:35:54We will meet you there."
8:35:56Bob looked at the group and shrugged.
8:35:59"Yesterday, this was the priority area.
8:36:02They know how heavy the attack was and
8:36:04that we almost lost a team, but today
8:36:06they're relocating us.
8:36:08I don't know what's going on, but I get
8:36:10the feeling that it's time to pay back a
8:36:12bit of our debts."
8:36:14Carl frowned.
8:36:16"Pay back our debts?"
8:36:18Doug smiled at him.
8:36:20"Inside joke.
8:36:22The politicians and billionaires all act
8:36:24like we owe them for funding the
8:36:25academy, so every time they send us on a
8:36:27mission to nowhere, we refer to it as
8:36:30repaying our debts."
8:36:32The twin mages nodded.
8:36:34"Non-optional missions, they're
8:36:36officially called.
8:36:37Most elites get sent on one every two or
8:36:40three years.
8:36:42This will be our fourth, but we've just
8:36:44got that sort of luck.
8:36:46Aren't we already on an emergency
8:36:47callout?"
8:36:49Carl asked, trying to make sense of this
8:36:51dispatching system.
8:36:53"We are, and it makes no sense that
8:36:55we're being moved.
8:36:57That's not standard procedure, so either
8:36:59we were specifically requested or
8:37:01something so extreme happened that this
8:37:03location no longer counts as an
8:37:04emergency.
8:37:06It could be that today's spawn appeared
8:37:08in a different location, possibly closer
8:37:10to a town, or that the danger level of
8:37:12certain areas is much higher than
8:37:14yesterday and they need more hands.
8:37:17They should tell us when we're on the
8:37:18chopper, but they won't say it over the
8:37:20radio in case they panic the other teams
8:37:23or leak information to foreign spies."
8:37:26Doug explained as he packed up his kit
8:37:28to head down the ladder.
8:37:30In seconds, they were ready and headed
8:37:32down the ladder just as the helicopter
8:37:34came into sight.
8:37:36It was nearly impossible to miss their
8:37:37location in the tallest tree for half of
8:37:40a kilometer next to a clearing and the
8:37:42pilot brought it down for a smooth
8:37:43landing with the rear cargo door already
8:37:45open.
8:37:47If they had needed a sign that this was
8:37:49a rush operation, that was it and the
8:37:51moment they were all on the ramp, it
8:37:53began to close and the pilot brought
8:37:55them back up into the sky.
8:37:57It was a good thing that the beasts
8:37:59could all return to Carl's space from a
8:38:01distance as trying to round them up
8:38:03would have taken more time than this
8:38:04pilot was willing to wait, but the pilot
8:38:06wasn't the real concern here.
8:38:08The overlord ranked general standing in
8:38:10front of them was,
8:38:12"Welcome aboard, elites.
8:38:15I am certain that you have questions
8:38:16that can wait until after I have
8:38:18finished briefing you."
8:38:20He began.
8:38:21"We have reviewed your combat logs and
8:38:23have determined that your group was
8:38:25misclassified.
8:38:27Our records show that despite still
8:38:29having a member at the official awakened
8:38:30rank and no commander rank leader, your
8:38:33group has displayed combat prowess that
8:38:35is in line with a combined low commander
8:38:37rank scenario.
8:38:39Such a threat has evolved in the region
8:38:41and you are being tasked to take it over
8:38:43with other teams being sent to fill your
8:38:44zone as well as the empty zones near
8:38:47you.
8:38:48Here is what we know so far.
8:38:50We have confirmation of the priority
8:38:52target Eden Mage, but it is not at the
8:38:54ascended rank as first believed, it is a
8:38:56commander rank monster.
8:38:59The regular military units have been
8:39:00positioned to contain it, which has left
8:39:02holes in the defense, which still
8:39:04contain a number of commander rank
8:39:06threats, including ogres and hill
8:39:08giants.
8:39:09Your team has both a beastmaster and a
8:39:11golem mage, who our data suggests should
8:39:14be capable of handling ascended rank
8:39:16threats unaided.
8:39:18So, with that in mind, we upgraded your
8:39:20team status.
8:39:22Is any of this unclear?"
8:39:24Carl shook his head in dismay while the
8:39:26others answered verbally.
8:39:28"No, general."
8:39:31"Excellent.
8:39:32You will be under the leadership of the
8:39:34Bureau of Public Safety once you reach
8:39:35your target. We are only the transport
8:39:38and bearers of good news today.
8:39:40Now, expect heavy combat from the moment
8:39:42that you arrive. The spawn today was
8:39:45heavier than usual and the teams were
8:39:47already relocated."
8:39:49The general announced.
8:39:51The whole thing sounded like a bad joke
8:39:53to Carl, but there was still a chance
8:39:55that this could work out for them.
8:39:57High-grade food was vital to the rapid
8:39:59growth of the beasts and commander rank
8:40:01meat wasn't easy to get.
8:40:03A few giants and ogres would keep Ray
8:40:05and Hawk stocked for months and they
8:40:07would just need to find something
8:40:09suitable for Thor.
8:40:11If everything went as anticipated, Carl
8:40:13believed that they could make it fully
8:40:14into the ascended rank before the
8:40:16mission was over and then he would be
8:40:18considered on par with the rest of the
8:40:19team, not a charity case or a burden the
8:40:22next time that there was a mission.
8:40:24As they approached the area, Carl
8:40:26realized that the general hadn't been
8:40:28joking about being under heavy attack
8:40:29from the moment that they landed.
8:40:32His sharp eyes could see that there was
8:40:33a group of giants tracking the
8:40:35helicopter, running through the woods
8:40:37after them as the pilot announced 30
8:40:39seconds to the landing zone.
8:40:41"We've got giants incoming from the
8:40:43south.
8:40:44Bob, do you want Thor with you?"
8:40:47Carl asked as the door began to open.
8:40:50"Do it.
8:40:51Don't send Hawk outside until the
8:40:53helicopter leaves, though.
8:40:55Let the monsters chase just one flying
8:40:57target."
8:40:59The warrior agreed, determination
8:41:01flashing in his gray eyes.
8:41:03The general looked shocked when Carl
8:41:05called Thor out onto the platform beside
8:41:07their lead warrior and even more shocked
8:41:09when Ray came out to stand beside him at
8:41:11the back of the column.
8:41:13"Go."
8:41:14Bob announced, jumping from the
8:41:16helicopter 5 m from the ground.
8:41:19The loot was quickly split between bags
8:41:21with Carl and Bob carrying the gold
8:41:24while the others picked an item to
8:41:25either wear or put in their bag.
8:41:28The wand of fireball was hung from a
8:41:29belt while the oversized rings were
8:41:31dangling from necklaces, which the
8:41:33others assured Carl was close enough to
8:41:35activate their abilities.
8:41:37They weren't major magical items and
8:41:40they were all to increase strength,
8:41:41which was the only thing that the giants
8:41:43truly valued.
8:41:45But when compared to the base strength
8:41:47of a petite mage, it was a considerable
8:41:49increase.
8:41:50The extra strength would make it easier
8:41:52to move through the woods, especially
8:41:54with their gear on their backs and it
8:41:56would leave them less exhausted at the
8:41:57end of the day.
8:41:59"I think I found the hiding spot of the
8:42:01ogres.
8:42:02There is a cave over here carved into a
8:42:05hillside."
8:42:06Hawk informed Carl after a few minutes
8:42:08of searching.
8:42:10"Well, we've got our next target.
8:42:12There is a cave in the hills that Hawk
8:42:14thinks has ogres.
8:42:16Are we all ready for this?"
8:42:18Carl asked.
8:42:20The group collectively sighed and
8:42:22prepared to move out.
8:42:24They were going to have to put in work
8:42:25to clear a zone in half a day as it
8:42:27wouldn't be safe to rest overnight if
8:42:29they didn't.
8:42:30Normally, it wouldn't be an issue, but
8:42:32there was the underlying knowledge that
8:42:34they could come across a commander rank
8:42:36beast in this area. It was explicitly
8:42:38stated when they were assigned here.
8:42:40None of them had much experience with
8:42:42that and never before in a group that
8:42:44didn't have a commander rank leader.
8:42:47Bob followed the direction that Carl
8:42:48pointed and then spotted Hawk circling
8:42:51over the cave.
8:42:52That was enough to guide them to their
8:42:54target with Ray and Thor sticking close
8:42:56to the group in case there was something
8:42:58that Hawk missed or failed to mention.
8:43:01As they approached, the stench of
8:43:03unwashed bodies assailed their nostrils
8:43:05and the sound of arguing in an unknown
8:43:07language slowly became audible.
8:43:10"Golems first.
8:43:12Attack them and draw them back out."
8:43:15Bob whispered as the cave came into
8:43:16sight.
8:43:18There were definitely either giants or
8:43:20ogres in there. The only question was
8:43:22how many and how strong were they.
8:43:24Ray settled into the grass next to Carl,
8:43:27who was hiding behind a tree like the
8:43:28rest of the team as the golems
8:43:30approached the cave.
8:43:32The stomping noise of the large wood
8:43:33golems was unmistakable and Carl heard
8:43:36the roars of rage that something dared
8:43:38to approach the cave that the monsters
8:43:39had claimed as their own.
8:43:41A massive club came flying out of the
8:43:43cave entrance with such force that it
8:43:45knocked a golem to the ground and
8:43:47continued on to shatter a tree to Carl's
8:43:49left.
8:43:50"Shit.
8:43:51I think we found our commander rank
8:43:53giant."
8:43:55Bob whispered.
8:43:56"Ray, circle behind the cave entrance so
8:43:59you can attack the back of whatever
8:44:00comes out.
8:44:02Getting hit with one of those clubs
8:44:04won't end well, so wait for the last of
8:44:06them to come out and make sure you can
8:44:07retreat up the cliff if they turn on
8:44:09you."
8:44:10Carl instructed.
8:44:12The golem was rapidly repairing itself
8:44:14as Danny poured mana into it and Donnie
8:44:17had layered them with a fresh barrier
8:44:19while Doug cast that enhancement spell
8:44:21again, making the golems look more
8:44:22complete and armored.
8:44:24Six giants rushed out of the cave, bent
8:44:27over at the waist to fit through the
8:44:28entrance and the golems attacked,
8:44:31striking them with vine whips while Hawk
8:44:33attacked from overhead, raining shred
8:44:35attacks down on them.
8:44:37The last one out was half-grown, only a
8:44:39little larger than a lizard man or twice
8:44:42the size of Bob.
8:44:44That was Ray's sign to attack and with a
8:44:46deft pull of her web, she roped the
8:44:48monster by the throat and pulled it up
8:44:50into the air, out of the reach of its
8:44:51kin.
8:44:53It couldn't even make a noise as it was
8:44:54abducted, but the giants were too busy
8:44:56to notice anyhow as that was the moment
8:44:59that Bob chose to charge.
8:45:01"Forward."
8:45:03He shouted, charging with Thor at his
8:45:05side.
8:45:06The mages and Doug didn't leave the
8:45:08trees, but Carl moved up into the open
8:45:10where he could get a clear line of
8:45:12attack on the giants while they were
8:45:13engaged with the oversized wood golems.
8:45:16Multiple rend attacks kept the giants
8:45:18annoyed and distracted so they couldn't
8:45:20focus on the incoming forms of Bob and
8:45:22Thor.
8:45:24The muscular scaled body of Thor slammed
8:45:26into the one on Carl's right and a twist
8:45:28of his head took the giant's legs out
8:45:30from underneath him, dropping the
8:45:31massive monster on its back where it was
8:45:34pummeled by a golem while two more tried
8:45:36to push the attackers back so it could
8:45:38regain its footing.
8:45:39But that left them vulnerable to Hawk,
8:45:41and the wounds were rapidly adding up,
8:45:43weakening them.
8:45:45The first of the golems was smashed out
8:45:47of existence a few seconds later, and
8:45:49the largest of the giants turned on Bob,
8:45:51smashing at him with its club.
8:45:54He rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding
8:45:56the strike, but keeping his guard
8:45:59barrier intact.
8:46:01Ray, when you see an opening, help Bob.
8:46:04Hawk, help Thor.
8:46:06Carl instructed.
8:46:08Thor was fighting two giants, while two
8:46:11golems worked to kill the prone giant,
8:46:13and the last golem was barely holding on
8:46:15in a two-on-one fight against the
8:46:17giants.
8:46:18Carl focused on that fight, putting all
8:46:20his power into shred, which shimmered
8:46:23with power as offensive optimization
8:46:26altered the spell to better cut through
8:46:27the target.
8:46:29The strike caught one of the giants
8:46:30across the face, blinding it in one eye
8:46:33and leaving a gaping slash from its ear
8:46:35to the middle of its chest, but the
8:46:36creature didn't seem to even register
8:46:38the pain, and the wound was slowly
8:46:40closing already.
8:46:42That wasn't good.
8:46:43If he couldn't do enough damage, it
8:46:45would just heal and keep fighting until
8:46:47the mages were exhausted and the golems
8:46:49dropped.
8:46:50A shrill shriek filled the air as Ray
8:46:52came hurtling past Carl's face,
8:46:55involuntarily headed for the cliff.
8:46:57She twisted at the last instant, but
8:46:59Carl could see that she was injured and
8:47:02limping on the left side.
8:47:04A glance left showed that the commander
8:47:06rank giant was in much worse shape, and
8:47:08she had nearly torn his heart from his
8:47:09chest when she landed on his back, but
8:47:12the giant had managed to grab her and
8:47:13throw her before Bob could stop him.
8:47:16Green healing light glowed around her
8:47:18body as Doug took action, and a barrier
8:47:20shimmered back to life around her body,
8:47:22bringing the bloodbath spider back into
8:47:24the fight.
8:47:25She launched herself off the rock face
8:47:27back at the giant, who turned to swat
8:47:29her away, only narrowly missing when she
8:47:32used her web to pull herself to the
8:47:33ground.
8:47:35The move turned his back on Bob, and the
8:47:37warrior glowed with golden light for an
8:47:39instant as he drove his blade into the
8:47:41creature's chest from behind, using the
8:47:43gap in the creature's armor that Ray had
8:47:45torn.
8:47:46The blade sunk in up to the hilt, and
8:47:48silently, the creature toppled over
8:47:50forward, landing on the grass with a
8:47:52thump that seemed to freeze time for an
8:47:53instant as the others realized their
8:47:55leader was dead.
8:47:57With him gone, they had lost their
8:47:59strongest chance at winning, and now
8:48:01there were two more attackers free to
8:48:02rescue the beleaguered golem, while Thor
8:48:04fended off the attacks of two others.
8:48:07Both his lightning barrier and Donnie's
8:48:09magical barriers were being broken and
8:48:11renewed every few seconds, but the
8:48:13giants were bruised everywhere and
8:48:15limping, while bleeding from multiple
8:48:17puncture wounds.
8:48:19The prone giant was finished, and the
8:48:21fight was over in the next few seconds
8:48:23as the survivors of the giant clan were
8:48:25surrounded and torn apart by golems and
8:48:27lacerate attacks.
8:48:30Head count.
8:48:31Bob called.
8:48:33No injuries in the back lines.
8:48:36Doug called back.
8:48:38Minor wounds on my side.
8:48:40Carl replied.
8:48:42With a smile and a sigh, the warrior
8:48:44sunk to the ground, still enveloped in
8:48:47healing light.
8:48:48Doug made his way forward, looking much
8:48:50older than he had a few minutes ago, a
8:48:52weariness that could only have come from
8:48:54mana exhaustion.
8:48:56The mages are barely mobile.
8:48:59We need to find a safe spot to hide for
8:49:01the night.
8:49:02The cleric informed his brother.
8:49:04Get them loaded onto Thor if we have to.
8:49:07Staying here is too dangerous.
8:49:10We will go a kilometer or so, and then
8:49:13find a spot.
8:49:14Can Hawk scout for us?
8:49:16Bob asked.
8:49:18Hawk was already started, so Carl nodded
8:49:21and began to check the giants for loot.
8:49:24There was absolutely nothing on them but
8:49:26their weapons and crude armor, which was
8:49:28now utterly destroyed.
8:49:30There might be something in the cave for
8:49:32them to take, but Carl got the feeling
8:49:34that these giants didn't have much to
8:49:36take in the first place.
8:49:38I will check the cave and meet you here
8:49:40in a minute.
8:49:41Thor, help the ladies onto your back.
8:49:44They need the help to get to camp.
8:49:47Carl informed the others.
8:49:49Doug gave him a weary thumbs up as he
8:49:51collapsed back-to-back with Bob, not
8:49:53even having the energy to go back to
8:49:55where the mages were sitting.
8:49:57They had come much closer to death than
8:49:59anyone was willing to admit, and even
8:50:01one more minute of combat would have
8:50:02left the casters comatose, while the
8:50:04front line was left on its own with no
8:50:06healing and little range support.
8:50:09Carl checked the cave and gathered the
8:50:11few coins that the giants had gathered.
8:50:14There were numerous trophies in the
8:50:15cave, along with rancid meat and an
8:50:18incredible number of bones, but nothing
8:50:20of real value.
8:50:22He shook his head as he returned to the
8:50:23group and noticed that Ray had moved the
8:50:25commander rank giant into her web as a
8:50:27trophy, and then helped the mages up
8:50:29onto Thor's back.
8:50:31How are you still mobile?
8:50:33You burned as much mana as I did, and
8:50:35I'm half dead here.
8:50:37Doug asked as Carl helped him to his
8:50:39feet.
8:50:41Refreshing lightning.
8:50:43It's Thor's specialty.
8:50:45It recovers stamina and mana with a slow
8:50:47healing effect.
8:50:49While I burned a lot of mana, I also
8:50:51recovered most of what I used.
8:50:54I don't have a skill that uses
8:50:55significantly more than the lightning
8:50:57barrier recovers, so it takes a while
8:50:59before I'm burnt out.
8:51:01Thor is the same way. He can go half the
8:51:03day at full output if he doesn't get
8:51:05hurt too badly.
8:51:07Thor was still limping, and some of his
8:51:09scales had cracks, but he was in better
8:51:11shape than the mages, who looked
8:51:13grateful for the lift.
8:51:15Carl slung their packs across Thor's
8:51:17upper pair of horns, and Bob helped Doug
8:51:19get mobile again.
8:51:21The casters had taken the worst of the
8:51:23exhaustion, while Bob had taken a heavy
8:51:25beating.
8:51:26Ray was still in rough shape, and she
8:51:28retreated into her space to rest and
8:51:30recover, while Hawk scouted for a good
8:51:32spot to hide for the night.
8:51:35They were just starting to leave when
8:51:36one large ogre with a stupid smile on
8:51:38his face walked into the camp, holding a
8:51:40dead iron tusk boar by its hind legs.
8:51:44It looked very proud of itself, and it
8:51:46was calling out for the giants until it
8:51:48finally registered what was going on.
8:51:50Carl stepped forward, sword in hand, and
8:51:53lopped its head off from 10 m away with
8:51:55a single shred attack.
8:51:58I've had quite enough fighting for one
8:52:00day, but I'm keeping that boar.
8:52:03He muttered as he tossed the carcass
8:52:04into the space for Hawk, or for the
8:52:06group to cook later.
8:52:08I've got a spot.
8:52:10Not quite a kilometer, but up in a good
8:52:12tree.
8:52:14As long as Ray is up for it.
8:52:16Hawk suggested.
8:52:18Not too far up a tree.
8:52:20I will have to carry the mages up the
8:52:22ladder.
8:52:23Carl reminded him.
8:52:25Got it.
8:52:27It's still a good spot.
8:52:29It was slow going for the first few
8:52:31minutes, but Doug was slowly recovering,
8:52:33thanks to his own magic refreshing him,
8:52:35and Bob didn't have to support him
8:52:37anymore.
8:52:38Hawk had picked them another redwood
8:52:40tree, but this time they weren't going
8:52:42to the top, just up far enough that the
8:52:44giants wouldn't be able to get to them.
8:52:47It would still be quite the climb, but
8:52:49Ray was feeling a bit better after a
8:52:50half hour of rest, and she was ready to
8:52:53make another fort.
8:52:54Just keep it simple.
8:52:57We're going to have to move on again in
8:52:58the morning, and I don't know if we will
8:53:00be back.
8:53:01Just enough to let us sleep in peace.
8:53:04Carl reminded her.
8:53:06Today's version was much smaller than
8:53:08the opulent fort she had made the last
8:53:10time, but it was big enough for them all
8:53:12to lay down, and it was well hidden far
8:53:14enough up the tree that the giants
8:53:15wouldn't be able to hit them unless they
8:53:17threw their clubs.
8:53:19Doug had a plan to prevent that as well.
8:53:22He used his magic to create a set of
8:53:24herbs that he scattered over the floor
8:53:25of the fort and on the ground around the
8:53:27tree.
8:53:29That will mask our scent for the night.
8:53:31If Carl and Bob carry the mages up, we
8:53:34can get dinner in us and sleep.
8:53:36Same watch schedule as usual.
8:53:39Doug explained.
8:53:41The mages complained, but didn't
8:53:43actually stop the two from picking them
8:53:44up on one hip and carrying them up the
8:53:46ladder.
8:53:48It was a bit tricky to climb with just
8:53:49one hand and carrying an extra burden,
8:53:52but they were fairly light, and as soon
8:53:54as Carl was in the fort, Thor returned
8:53:56to his space for the night.
8:53:58Bob gave the group a weak smile.
8:54:00I guess we can confirm that this group
8:54:02has commander rank battle power now.
8:54:05I have sent in the battle results and
8:54:07location to the battlefield command, but
8:54:09they haven't responded yet.
8:54:11There were too many battles today for
8:54:13them to process them all right away, but
8:54:15we should have some good rewards coming
8:54:17to us when we get home.
8:54:19Now we just hope that the next time we
8:54:21come across a cave full of giants, it's
8:54:23not that messy.
8:54:25Amen to that.
8:54:27We had the dragon's own luck to make it
8:54:28out of that without losing any gear.
8:54:31Doug agreed.
8:54:33Carl's regretful sigh reminded the
8:54:35others that he wasn't as experienced as
8:54:36they were in the wilderness.
8:54:38In case of emergency, we have a potion
8:54:41that will give us a burst of energy.
8:54:43Not mana, just physical energy.
8:54:46The idea is that you drop all the weight
8:54:48you can and run if you have to use it.
8:54:51Flee and live to fight another day.
8:54:54But that normally means losing all your
8:54:56gear.
8:54:57Carl nodded his head.
8:54:59Well, it's better than being dead
8:55:01anyhow.
8:55:02I will have to put more effort into
8:55:04verifying what sort of threat we are
8:55:06facing.
8:55:07This one was in a cave, and it's not
8:55:09like Hawk can fly in and check it out,
8:55:11but I probably should have had him at
8:55:13least try to do a head count or
8:55:14something.
8:55:16Doug patted him on the back.
8:55:18Don't feel bad about it, lad.
8:55:21We knew it was going to be a hard fight,
8:55:23and we came out on top.
8:55:25There shouldn't be too many more fights
8:55:27like that during the mission, and with
8:55:28the practice and experience often comes
8:55:30breakthroughs.
8:55:32I don't know what it is about practical
8:55:34experience, but it grows in elites
8:55:36powers faster than anything else.
8:55:38That's part of the reason that we keep
8:55:40volunteering to come help Bob all the
8:55:42time.
8:55:43Did you know that back in the academy,
8:55:45he wasn't considered anything special?
8:55:48He graduated as an awakened warrior and
8:55:50only made ascended the year after.
8:55:53Now, he's almost a commander rank as we
8:55:56all are.
8:55:57Just keeping at the training instead of
8:55:59letting our skills atrophy has done more
8:56:01for us than years in the academy did.
8:56:04It's a lot further from ascended to
8:56:05commander than it is from awakened to
8:56:07ascended, after all.
8:56:09The cleric knew just how to set a mind
8:56:11at ease and Carl nodded in agreement,
8:56:14which turned into a tired head bob that
8:56:15he barely caught before he nodded off.
8:56:18Dinner was still on the way and going to
8:56:20bed hungry would just make him sluggish
8:56:22if there was a fight in the middle of
8:56:24the night.
8:56:25The meal was one of silently eaten
8:56:27ration packs as creating food would take
8:56:29excess energy and Doug was already
8:56:31exhausted.
8:56:33Hawk will keep watch with you.
8:56:35Hawk, wake up Ray before you sleep.
8:56:38I know everyone is wiped, so it will be
8:56:41better to have good night vision
8:56:42available all night.
8:56:44Carl whispered to the cleric before he
8:56:46nodded off.
8:56:47I will make sure we've got a good
8:56:49breakfast ready in the morning.
8:56:51Doug agreed before Carl's eyes closed
8:56:54and he embraced sleep.
8:56:56Carl was awakened well before his shift
8:56:58by the sound of monsters moving through
8:57:00the forest.
8:57:01The sound of breaking branches brought
8:57:03him out of a sound sleep or perhaps it
8:57:05was Ray relaying the information about
8:57:07the noise.
8:57:09In his half asleep state, Carl couldn't
8:57:11tell the difference, but the mage on
8:57:13duty hadn't noticed it yet.
8:57:15There is something big moving in the
8:57:17woods.
8:57:18Carl whispered to her as he scanned the
8:57:20forest for the exact location of what
8:57:22was causing the noise.
8:57:24Their position today wasn't as high, so
8:57:26he didn't have the advantage of being
8:57:28able to see over the treeline and look
8:57:29down at the monsters nearby, but he
8:57:31could still clearly hear the movement
8:57:33and it was getting closer.
8:57:35Wake the others if you think it's going
8:57:37to attack us.
8:57:38I will be happy to let it pass by if we
8:57:40can so that we're not fighting in the
8:57:42dark.
8:57:43She whispered back.
8:57:45That was a good point.
8:57:47Picking a fight when nobody could see
8:57:49what they were doing was a terrible idea
8:57:51and from the look of the sky, this might
8:57:53be third shift, not fourth.
8:57:56The moon was still high in the sky, but
8:57:58there was no hint of light on the
8:57:59horizon that would suggest dawn was
8:58:01getting close.
8:58:03Ray was up in the tree with them and
8:58:05after a few seconds, she tapped Carl on
8:58:07the shoulder, bringing his attention to
8:58:09movement in the distance that could only
8:58:11be spotted as a bit of warm thermal
8:58:13imaging through the trees.
8:58:15A small group of hill giants were moving
8:58:17around, snapping trees and then
8:58:19retreating.
8:58:20I have found them.
8:58:22Hill giants making a camp.
8:58:25The noise was them breaking off small
8:58:26trees for their fire.
8:58:29Carl whispered.
8:58:30In that case, we will likely be able to
8:58:33see them soon.
8:58:34They rarely hide their campfire as it
8:58:37brings prey to them.
8:58:39She replied grimly.
8:58:41Most monsters were afraid of fire, but
8:58:43then Carl realized what she meant.
8:58:46Fire attracted humans.
8:58:48Their campfire would bring groups of
8:58:50elites and soldiers to them for the
8:58:52giants to kill and eat.
8:58:54They weren't getting any closer, but
8:58:56they weren't the only thing moving in
8:58:58the woods and after a few minutes, Carl
8:59:00noticed that goblins were also drawn to
8:59:02the fire, possibly thinking that it was
8:59:04a camp of humans.
8:59:06There are goblins on the move toward the
8:59:08giants.
8:59:10Nothing is coming our way at the moment.
8:59:13Carl updated the mage on duty.
8:59:15I've just started my watch. Do you want
8:59:17to switch?
8:59:19Wake my sister next and I will take your
8:59:21watch.
8:59:22She offered.
8:59:24All right.
8:59:25Sleep well. I don't think that we will
8:59:27have problems, but it's easier for Ray
8:59:29to explain to me than to anyone else.
8:59:32Carl agreed.
8:59:34Can I kill the ones that smell good?
8:59:37Ray asked hopefully after watching
8:59:39another group of goblins headed for the
8:59:40giants fire.
8:59:42If they're weak enough that you can take
8:59:44them out without being spotted or
8:59:45causing a ruckus.
8:59:47We don't want to draw the monsters away
8:59:49from their party.
8:59:51Carl replied.
8:59:53That was good enough for her and Ray
8:59:54watched carefully for monsters that
8:59:56weren't goblins or other green things.
8:59:59The lizard men weren't bad and they
9:00:01struggled nicely in her web, but none of
9:00:03the green things made her top prey list.
9:00:06The commander rank hill giant definitely
9:00:08did and she was looking forward to
9:00:10getting another of them in the morning.
9:00:12They wouldn't be difficult to find as
9:00:14the fire was now clearly visible from
9:00:16their resting spot and the sound of
9:00:18monsters arguing or whatever they were
9:00:20doing was loud enough that when Carl
9:00:22woke the next shift, she could hear
9:00:24them.
9:00:25How long has that been going on?
9:00:28She asked.
9:00:30Nearly two hours now.
9:00:32Ray woke me up when the hill giants got
9:00:34close and I switched shifts with your
9:00:36sister.
9:00:38Wake her up for last shift of the
9:00:39morning.
9:00:41The light should attract all the
9:00:42monsters in the area, but I'm not
9:00:44certain what we will be able to do about
9:00:45it now that there are so many.
9:00:48I have seen two groups of goblins headed
9:00:50for the giants, plus at least one group
9:00:52with hobgoblins and Ray intercepted a
9:00:54small group of awakened rank ogres.
9:00:57But we can't see anything coming from
9:00:59the other sides, only what is close
9:01:01enough to be within sight or hearing
9:01:03range of our location.
9:01:05Carl explained.
9:01:07All right, get a few more hours of sleep
9:01:09and we will work on a plan as soon as it
9:01:11starts getting light out.
9:01:13Prepare for a short night in case we
9:01:15have to run.
9:01:17Carl tucked himself back into bed and
9:01:19only briefly noticed when Ray returned
9:01:21to her space to sleep, letting Hawk take
9:01:23over so that they were all well rested
9:01:25when the sun came up and things
9:01:26inevitably got dangerous.
9:01:29Not that she was worried that their
9:01:30location would be spotted. Doug had done
9:01:32a good job of blocking their scent, but
9:01:34because someone was going to have to
9:01:36deal with that group and unless all the
9:01:37monsters had left the nearby woods to
9:01:39join them, there probably wasn't going
9:01:41to be another group to help.
9:01:43They had all been relocated here because
9:01:45of the dangers of the area, so there
9:01:47were no extra groups around.
9:01:50He was shaken awake by Hawk just as the
9:01:52others began to get active for the
9:01:53morning, preparing the breakfast ration
9:01:55packs so the smell of cooking didn't
9:01:57attract monsters.
9:01:59There are ogres all over the forest, but
9:02:01nothing close to us.
9:02:04I took a flight earlier and the giants
9:02:06camp is big, but weak.
9:02:08Plenty of goblins, only a few other
9:02:10things with the giants.
9:02:12No big boss giant this time that I can
9:02:15see and I didn't see a cave for them to
9:02:17hide in.
9:02:18Hawk was being extra vigilant today
9:02:21after having missed the power level of
9:02:22yesterday's fight.
9:02:24It had been an excellent learning
9:02:25experience for him and you could never
9:02:27be too prepared for a battle.
9:02:30You could be too scared or too cautious,
9:02:32but never too prepared.
9:02:35Bob motioned for Carl to come closer as
9:02:37they whispered their plans.
9:02:39We had Hawk try and explain the
9:02:41situation and it sounds like the giants
9:02:43are the only major threat there.
9:02:45Does he think that we can take them in a
9:02:47fight without getting injured?
9:02:49Or should we start further out and clear
9:02:51away the other monsters in the forest
9:02:53first?
9:02:54Their lead warrior asked.
9:02:57Carl considered Hawk's description for a
9:02:59moment.
9:03:00There is no commander rank leader and
9:03:02the giants don't outnumber us.
9:03:04But there are countless goblins, plus
9:03:06some hobgoblins and a few ogres that
9:03:08decided to join them.
9:03:10From his description, the ogres sound
9:03:13like weaker ones that needed protection.
9:03:15There are a lot of other ogres in the
9:03:17area as well, but not at the camp.
9:03:20Carl explained.
9:03:22The rest of the group silently waited
9:03:24for Bob's decision.
9:03:26They all knew their capabilities and he
9:03:28had the most practical experience, so
9:03:30when it came to the final decision, they
9:03:32usually deferred to him.
9:03:34All right, we will go for the camp and
9:03:36blitz it.
9:03:37Wipe out as many of the smaller monsters
9:03:40as we can right at the start and then
9:03:41focus on the giants and anything at
9:03:43ascended rank.
9:03:45Bob announced after a few seconds of
9:03:47staring at the map.
9:03:49Eat up and then we move out.
9:03:51Doug agreed before filling his mouth
9:03:54with oatmeal.
9:03:55The group silently climbed down the tree
9:03:57and followed the noise of the monster
9:03:59camp toward the location the giants had
9:04:01picked as their base.
9:04:03The ogres were still avoiding the area
9:04:05as Hawk confirmed once he started his
9:04:07overhead surveillance.
9:04:0950 or more goblins, 10 ogres, 20
9:04:12hobgoblins and four giants.
9:04:15None of them are as large as the leader
9:04:17of the last group, but they all look the
9:04:19same according to Hawk, so I'm going to
9:04:21say that they are indeed more hill
9:04:22giants.
9:04:24Carl confirmed.
9:04:26Bob motioned for them all to follow and
9:04:28both mages took out wands from their
9:04:30coats.
9:04:32One was the wand of fireball that they
9:04:33had recovered from the Edin mage and the
9:04:35other looked similar, so they were
9:04:37probably both similar in function.
9:04:40The more mana that they could save at
9:04:41the start of the fight, the better.
9:04:44They were going to have a tough time
9:04:45with that many hobgoblins and ogres and
9:04:48only Thor, Bob and the golems could
9:04:50effectively deal with the giants.
9:04:53Bob paused only a few dozen meters from
9:04:55the tree line around the giants
9:04:56encampment as he made his final
9:04:58preparations.
9:05:00Call the golems as soon as we arrive.
9:05:03Then area damage to remove the smaller
9:05:05threats while I hold off the giants with
9:05:07Thor.
9:05:08The wood golems have a vine attack that
9:05:10can hit multiple targets, so use it on
9:05:12the hobgoblins.
9:05:14Carl, I am counting on you, Hawk and Ray
9:05:17to deal with the ogres.
9:05:19Once those are down, join us at the
9:05:21giants and we will finish the fight as
9:05:23quickly as possible, then retreat away
9:05:25from the camp to rest before clearing
9:05:27the rest of the area.
9:05:29He whispered.
9:05:30That didn't sound too bad to Carl.
9:05:33With Ray and Hawk, they shouldn't have
9:05:35too many problems eliminating the ogres,
9:05:38who were relatively slow-moving.
9:05:40If he dodged well enough, he might not
9:05:42even have to engage them in close combat
9:05:44at all.
9:05:46Everyone but Thor agreed that was ideal.
9:05:49The more enemies that you could
9:05:50eliminate from a distance, the better.
9:05:53Even Ray felt that way, and she didn't
9:05:55have a true ranged attack.
9:05:58Instead, she preferred to let the enemy
9:06:00tire itself out on her web before she
9:06:02finished it off.
9:06:04Carl moved to the right, closer to where
9:06:06the ogres were gathered, and Bob moved
9:06:08left with Thor to approach the giants
9:06:10from the back.
9:06:12The monsters would hear their approach
9:06:13soon, as Thor wasn't great at stealth,
9:06:16being a nearly 2-m tall scaled dinosaur.
9:06:19But the sound of monsters moving in the
9:06:21forest wasn't a sound that the giants
9:06:23were unfamiliar with, and instead of
9:06:25taking it as a threat, they just kept
9:06:27tracking him, waiting for the sero to
9:06:29get close enough for them to attack.
9:06:32One lightning sero on its own was an
9:06:33easy meal for this large group, and that
9:06:36was all that they could hear so far.
9:06:38The giants roared in victory as they
9:06:40decided that Thor was close enough to
9:06:42attack, and Carl heard them run off into
9:06:44the trees.
9:06:46They hadn't waited for Bob to launch the
9:06:48attack, but the other monsters weren't
9:06:50joining them, as the giants would take
9:06:52it as a threat to their authority if the
9:06:53others stole a kill.
9:06:55That was when he attacked.
9:06:58Ray, grab the ogres with your web to
9:07:00slow them down.
9:07:02Hawk, full attack.
9:07:04He announced mentally as he darted
9:07:06forward to throw rend attacks into the
9:07:07unprotected bellies and legs of the
9:07:09ogres.
9:07:11Their hide was thick and tougher than
9:07:13most hardened leather, thanks to their
9:07:14status as awakened monsters.
9:07:17None of them were fully grown, as Hawk
9:07:19had informed them, and they were all on
9:07:21the low side of awakened in power, which
9:07:23was letting his attacks cut deep furrows
9:07:25into their hide, enraging the ogres, and
9:07:28making them charge toward the trees
9:07:29where he was hiding.
9:07:31That was precisely what they wanted.
9:07:3410 to 1 seemed like good odds to the
9:07:36ogres, and even after a few of them
9:07:38stumbled and hit the ground, they still
9:07:40saw an overwhelming advantage for their
9:07:42side.
9:07:43But Hawk was attacking from above, and
9:07:45the fallen ogres had been killed without
9:07:47ever knowing they were under attack from
9:07:49multiple directions.
9:07:51Then, the front row reached the trees,
9:07:53and Ray sprung into action, pulling them
9:07:56to the ground with a web she had left
9:07:57lying on the ground as a trap.
9:08:00The moment she pulled it tight, the
9:08:01remaining ogres became entangled, and
9:08:04the bloodbath spider charged into them,
9:08:06tearing bodies apart from behind as Carl
9:08:08attacked from the front.
9:08:10He was still retreating, leaving space
9:08:12between him and the web so he could
9:08:13attack without being in their
9:08:15retaliation range, but within seconds,
9:08:17that wouldn't matter.
9:08:19They weren't bright, and they were
9:08:21becoming even more entangled as they
9:08:22fought with each other to get free.
9:08:25Ray spun more web around them as Hawk
9:08:27bombarded them from above, and then
9:08:29moved off to assist Thor, who was having
9:08:31a tough time with the giants.
9:08:34Just because they couldn't smash through
9:08:35his barrier in a single strike didn't
9:08:37mean they couldn't at all, and the
9:08:38mighty sero was on the defensive,
9:08:40sweeping with his horns and using
9:08:42earthquake to keep the giants off
9:08:44balance.
9:08:46Being on four feet gave him the
9:08:47advantage in stability, and even when he
9:08:49stepped into his own effect, he was
9:08:51still able to stab and charge at the
9:08:53giants, herding them away from the main
9:08:55clearing and away from Bob, so the
9:08:57warrior could finish his second fight
9:08:59without interference.
9:09:01With the combined efforts of Carl and
9:09:02Ray, the ogres were all in states of
9:09:04incapacitated already, and Ray was
9:09:07finishing them quickly to add to her
9:09:08snack pile before anyone could tell her
9:09:10they wanted something off the bodies.
9:09:13They had been stripped of their loot and
9:09:14clothing when she tossed them in the
9:09:16space, and she didn't see any reason
9:09:18that the others would want the body
9:09:19parts, so they were hers.
9:09:22She had claimed them, and she wasn't
9:09:24giving them up.
9:09:25Carl quickly checked the pile of items
9:09:27from the ogres and stuffed the bits of
9:09:29gold and silver into the side pocket of
9:09:31his bag, then moved to join the fight
9:09:33against the goblins.
9:09:35The hobgoblins were already down,
9:09:37eliminated by the golems, and most of
9:09:39the goblins were gone as well, taken out
9:09:42by a large area fire spell.
9:09:44Doug gestured for Carl to keep going, as
9:09:47the remaining goblins were being held
9:09:49off by the golem's array of roots and
9:09:50vines.
9:09:52They didn't need the help, as the
9:09:53goblins were much weaker than they were,
9:09:55just too numerous to be immediately
9:09:57eliminated.
9:09:59That gave Carl an idea, though.
9:10:02Hawk knew a fireball that could expand
9:10:04over a small area.
9:10:06If he kept training at it, he could
9:10:08likely expand it enough to cover most of
9:10:10a clearing.
9:10:11Even if it weakened the spell
9:10:12significantly, it would allow him to
9:10:14eliminate threats like a goblin tribe in
9:10:16a single shot.
9:10:18Nobody in the group had a large-scale
9:10:20spell like that, but Carl was certain
9:10:22that it should be possible, since the
9:10:24bird had already used it as both a
9:10:25stream of flame and as a ball.
9:10:28With a gesture from Carl, Ray circled
9:10:30wide around the edge of the clearing
9:10:32while he charged through, attacking the
9:10:34few goblins that turned his way as he
9:10:35headed for the giants.
9:10:37They could see him coming, and one broke
9:10:40free of Thor's distraction to charge at
9:10:41the incoming warrior, only to realize
9:10:44too late that it was a trap.
9:10:46Hawk set a wind barrier in front of him,
9:10:48stopping the giant in his tracks, and
9:10:50the bloodbath spider was all over his
9:10:52back, tearing him apart in a position
9:10:54that he couldn't reach.
9:10:56His scream of frustration distracted the
9:10:58other giants, and one immediately fell
9:11:00to Bob's blade, while the other was
9:11:02knocked to the ground by Thor, then had
9:11:04its rib cage crushed by an
9:11:06earthquake-enhanced tail strike.
9:11:08Carl finished the giant and turned back
9:11:10to the casters, just in time to see the
9:11:12last of the goblins fall.
9:11:15That fight wasn't nearly as bad as they
9:11:16had feared, though Thor had retreated to
9:11:18his pond to rest and recuperate before
9:11:20the next battle.
9:11:22He would heal quickly even out here with
9:11:24his lightning, but it was better to
9:11:26completely rest until he was called on
9:11:27again.
9:11:29Ray felt the same way, but mostly
9:11:31because she wanted to arrange her
9:11:32treasures in her web.
9:11:34That left Hawk circling overhead and an
9:11:37upbeat group of elites, ready to move on
9:11:39to hunting for the rest of the monsters
9:11:41in their zone.
9:11:42The radio was set to just above a
9:11:44whisper, so that Bob could hear if there
9:11:46were any nearby groups in trouble and
9:11:48keep track of monster movements.
9:11:51There weren't enough elites around to
9:11:52clear everything before it wandered into
9:11:54someone else's zone, and most of the
9:11:56teams were doing what they had done and
9:11:58working to eliminate the most dangerous
9:12:00group first.
9:12:01If that one headed for the nearby
9:12:03villages, they would catch hell from
9:12:05their superiors, and the rewards for
9:12:07eliminating the more powerful groups
9:12:09were the reason most of them were here
9:12:10in the first place.
9:12:12From what Carl could hear on the radio,
9:12:14most of the ones who had been forced to
9:12:16come out were the lower-ranking elites,
9:12:18the awakened warrior classes, and they
9:12:20weren't anywhere near where his group
9:12:21had been relocated.
9:12:23He did wonder if someone was going to
9:12:25come across their tree fort and the
9:12:27spiders that had been left over seeing
9:12:28it.
9:12:29It would be unfortunate for the spiders,
9:12:31as they would probably be slaughtered
9:12:33when they weren't actually a threat to
9:12:35anyone, but most groups wouldn't be
9:12:37brave enough to go into the fort.
9:12:39The common sentiment regarding spider
9:12:41monsters was kill it with fire, so Carl
9:12:44really didn't think that anyone would
9:12:45risk going into the fort to see if the
9:12:47creator was still there.
9:12:49Ogres ahead, two of them.
9:12:52Big ones.
9:12:54Hawk informed Carl as he pondered the
9:12:55chances of the fort's survival.
9:12:58Two ahead.
9:13:00Carl relayed, then checked on Thor, who
9:13:02was rolling in the pond, using the
9:13:04stones to massage sore muscles.
9:13:07Thor, you can rest for a bit.
9:13:09Ray, come give me a hand.
9:13:12He instructed.
9:13:14Then he activated skill master with all
9:13:17three beasts as the target, hoping that
9:13:19at least one of them would learn a new
9:13:20skill either from the group or the
9:13:22monsters they were fighting today.
9:13:24A new skill or two would give them more
9:13:26options in a fight, especially when they
9:13:28were facing armor targets or new forms
9:13:31of monsters they hadn't had much
9:13:32practice against.
9:13:34Ray joined them, and Carl sent her up to
9:13:36take Thor's spot, so that Bob understood
9:13:39what was happening without him having to
9:13:40explain the situation.
9:13:43The mages prepared their spells once
9:13:44they saw Hawk circling, and the moment
9:13:46the ogre pair came into sight, they
9:13:49unleashed on them, scorching them with
9:13:50fire before Ray and Bob moved up to
9:13:53finish them off.
9:13:54One single combo attack was enough to
9:13:56take them out, and the ogres died with
9:13:58an utterly shocked look on their faces
9:14:00that said they hadn't expected to lose
9:14:02this fight at all, much less so quickly.
9:14:05It was short and brutal, but another
9:14:07pair of ascended rank kills for their
9:14:09logs.
9:14:10Normally, everyone would make their own
9:14:12records of the fights they had been in,
9:14:14but Carl didn't know that, and the group
9:14:16trusted Doug to make all the records for
9:14:18them.
9:14:19Nobody would question the honesty of the
9:14:21cleric assigned to the group, as they
9:14:23didn't get the same sort of financial
9:14:25rewards that the others did.
9:14:27The church frowned on its members trying
9:14:29to get wealthy for any reason, so the
9:14:31rewards they gave were non-monetary.
9:14:34He would still be rewarded, though.
9:14:37With so many kills coming their way, he
9:14:39would be rewarded very well.
9:14:41Especially if he managed to make
9:14:43commander rank.
9:14:45They were all supposed to be close to
9:14:46the break point, but for the church,
9:14:48commander rank would make him a high
9:14:50priest of his goddess, the green dragon,
9:14:52who represented the natural balance and
9:14:54growth.
9:14:56More coming from all four directions.
9:14:58They heard your fight.
9:15:00Hawk warned.
9:15:02We've got incoming from all four
9:15:04directions.
9:15:05Hawk will update as they get closer.
9:15:08Carl informed the others.
9:15:11The golems were brought back, and a
9:15:12magical barrier ring was erected around
9:15:15the group, 2 m tall.
9:15:17It wouldn't stop the ogres from getting
9:15:19over, but But also wouldn't stop them
9:15:21from getting hit while they were trying.
9:15:23Bob only had slash as a ranged attack.
9:15:27The rest of his skills were melee, but
9:15:29the others all had plenty of range to
9:15:30attack past the barrier, while the four
9:15:33golems plus Thor and Bob would hold the
9:15:35front rank against the attackers.
9:15:37I think they have associated me with the
9:15:39attacks.
9:15:40There are some in the distance pointing
9:15:42at me and shouting.
9:15:44Hawk updated.
9:15:46Fly off to see if they chase you to
9:15:48another location, then you can lure them
9:15:50back here after the fight.
9:15:52Carl suggested.
9:15:54Hawk needs to relocate.
9:15:56The monsters are catching on to the fact
9:15:58that he's hovering over fights.
9:16:01They might think he's a scavenger luring
9:16:03them to food he can't kill himself.
9:16:05I sent him off to scout.
9:16:08Carl informed the others.
9:16:10That's fine.
9:16:12As long as he can keep updating us on
9:16:14the situation, he's doing well enough as
9:16:16a scout.
9:16:17Doug agreed.
9:16:19It would be good to have his extra
9:16:21attacking power here, but not completely
9:16:23necessary now that they had the time to
9:16:25prepare defenses against the ogres.
9:16:28The first arrived only seconds later and
9:16:30died as soon as it reached the barrier.
9:16:33The same was true for the next six, but
9:16:35after that, they started to get more
9:16:37cautious and gather in a group before
9:16:39charging.
9:16:41Ogres are still going your way, but the
9:16:43other stuff is following me to a furious
9:16:45warbear family.
9:16:47Hawk updated.
9:16:49His ploy didn't work on the ogres.
9:16:52But everything else is following him
9:16:53into a trap.
9:16:55Carl laughed.
9:16:57There was no time for questions as they
9:16:58hurled skills at the ogres who were
9:17:00struggling to get past the barrier with
9:17:02the wood golems whipping at their faces
9:17:04and arms.
9:17:06There was another pause in the battle
9:17:07and Carl ordered Thor to grab all the
9:17:09corpses and throw them into Hawk and
9:17:11Ray's spaces.
9:17:13They could deal with them later, but
9:17:15they were starting to pile up against
9:17:16the barrier and it was getting to be too
9:17:18easy for the new arrivals to jump over.
9:17:21A short pause allowed everyone to rest
9:17:23for a moment and Doug passed around some
9:17:26sort of crispy squares, something
9:17:28between a peanut brittle and a brownie.
9:17:30Carl felt his energy for the new
9:17:32arrivals to jump over.
9:17:34A short pause allowed everyone to rest
9:17:36for a moment and level begin to rise a
9:17:38bit faster as he finished eating, then
9:17:41washed it down with water from his
9:17:42canteen.
9:17:44No more ogres coming.
9:17:46But I'm on my way back with what is left
9:17:48of the others.
9:17:50Hawk updated.
9:17:51Hawk is incoming with the remainder of
9:17:53the other monsters chasing him.
9:17:56I guess not all of them fell for the
9:17:57trap.
9:17:59Carl informed Doug, who was giving a sad
9:18:01look at his favorite sword hand glove,
9:18:03which had ripped during the battle.
9:18:06Bob pocketed the glove for later repair
9:18:08and picked up his sword.
9:18:10Hawk flew overhead and right past them,
9:18:12leading an enraged crowd of monsters
9:18:14that were periodically throwing rocks
9:18:16and spears at the low-flying bird.
9:18:19Whatever he had done, they were beyond
9:18:21enraged with him.
9:18:23It was just the lizardmen left, which
9:18:25Carl assumed was because they were the
9:18:27smartest of the monsters that had been
9:18:28following him, but their rage made them
9:18:30slow to react and they were nearly
9:18:32eliminated by the mages and the golems
9:18:34before Carl could even get a second
9:18:36shred off.
9:18:38Once they were gone, Hawk returned and
9:18:40vanished into his space to take a quick
9:18:42break and get a snack before continuing
9:18:44to scout.
9:18:45Are the rest of the monsters in the
9:18:47immediate area gone?
9:18:49Carl asked just to be certain.
9:18:52All gone.
9:18:53Fed them to an angry warbear.
9:18:56Don't go into the river bottom past the
9:18:58cliffs outside our zone.
9:19:00She is mad.
9:19:02Hawk says he lured the others outside
9:19:04our zone to a warbear den.
9:19:06They're gone now, but the warbear is not
9:19:08impressed with us or life in general, so
9:19:11stay away from the cliffs and the river
9:19:12bottom.
9:19:14Carl relayed.
9:19:16Bob grabbed the radio to warn the team
9:19:18in the area.
9:19:19The warbear was a native monster and not
9:19:22the primary goal of the mission.
9:19:24In fact, they killed any other monster
9:19:26in their territory, so they would do the
9:19:28team's job for them if anything strayed
9:19:30too close.
9:19:32Even the bravest of teams didn't like to
9:19:34tangle with them as the bears were even
9:19:36more durable than most armored monsters
9:19:38and they were notorious for holding a
9:19:39grudge.
9:19:41The mages let the barrier down so that
9:19:43the magic wouldn't attract any more
9:19:44monsters and Bob signaled for the group
9:19:47to get moving.
9:19:48He was leading them back toward the fort
9:19:50they had built the previous night, even
9:19:52though they hadn't finished the full
9:19:54sweep of the area yet.
9:19:56They had probably killed everything in
9:19:57the area, but Hawk would double-check
9:19:59while they walked back after he had
9:20:01rested enough and nothing was looking
9:20:03for him.
9:20:04As with the other zone, their assigned
9:20:06area was not large and the threat level
9:20:08would vary, so it was best to get your
9:20:10rest when you could.
9:20:12We will return to the fort for lunch and
9:20:14let Hawk scout while we rest.
9:20:17Then he can return to his hiding spot to
9:20:19rest so we don't end up causing the
9:20:20monsters to stampede again.
9:20:23It feels like we cleared this area
9:20:25fairly well, but you can never be too
9:20:27certain and the monsters are always
9:20:29moving.
9:20:30Bob explained as he got the group
9:20:32moving.
9:20:33Hawk happily made another round around
9:20:35the area, being sure to keep well away
9:20:37from the home of the warbear in case it
9:20:39tracked him back and decided to knock
9:20:41the tree down to get to him while he was
9:20:42sleeping.
9:20:44Carl sensed the bird's thoughts and
9:20:45shook his head in dismay.
9:20:48If the warbear could so easily take out
9:20:50everything that was thrown at it, then
9:20:52it meant that the matriarch of the clan
9:20:53was probably a commander rank beast,
9:20:55much tougher than the hill giant they
9:20:57had fought thanks to its nearly
9:20:58impenetrable hide.
9:21:00That was not something that you were
9:21:02supposed to upset.
9:21:04At least not if you didn't have the
9:21:05brute strength to convince it to back
9:21:07down.
9:21:08The fort was empty when they returned
9:21:10and everyone settled into rest weary
9:21:12muscles on the soft silk netting.
9:21:15Hawk returned only a few minutes later
9:21:17with confirmation that there was nothing
9:21:18worth mentioning in their zone, so they
9:21:20were safe to relax for an hour or two.
9:21:23The smell of cooking wouldn't draw
9:21:25anything in from this distance, so they
9:21:27didn't have to eat more of the ration
9:21:28packs.
9:21:30Should we set up another spot up at the
9:21:32top of the tree so that we can see more
9:21:33of what is going on around us?
9:21:36Even having Hawk in a nest at the top of
9:21:38the tree will give us much more
9:21:39visibility when something comes near us.
9:21:42Carl suggested.
9:21:44That's not a bad idea.
9:21:46The tree is large enough to move and get
9:21:48a better line of sight, but being lower
9:21:50here also helps us see what is at ground
9:21:52level instead of having it blocked by
9:21:54leaves.
9:21:56Bob replied.
9:21:58Doug nodded in agreement.
9:22:00You can see a lot more than we can, so
9:22:02it's better for the watches if we're low
9:22:04enough that everyone can see the ground.
9:22:07With a bit of luck, we won't have to
9:22:08leave here again today.
9:22:11We can just wait for the monsters to
9:22:12appear again and then go deal with them.
9:22:15We will ask you to send Hawk out every
9:22:17few hours to make sure we're not missing
9:22:19anything, but the others only expect so
9:22:21much out of us.
9:22:23You can't be in combat all day, every
9:22:25day. It wears everyone out too fast.
9:22:28The mages stretched out on the webbing
9:22:30and smiled up at the sky.
9:22:33We've already been upgraded once on this
9:22:34mission.
9:22:36If we start making it look too easy, who
9:22:38knows what they will ask us to do next.
9:22:41I have a good feeling about this
9:22:43mission. I might make it to commander
9:22:44rank with just a bit more work.
9:22:47There is a change in my golems. They're
9:22:49stronger than they were and more agile
9:22:51with the vine whips.
9:22:53If you could have seen how they
9:22:54eliminated the goblins, I think you'd
9:22:56agree that they're very close to
9:22:58reaching the standard.
9:22:59All it takes is one signature spell for
9:23:01proof, but the rest of my attack magic
9:23:04is improving as well.
9:23:06It's impossible to tell against such
9:23:08weak targets as the goblins, but hitting
9:23:10the hobgoblins, they were dying without
9:23:12any sort of resistance as well and that
9:23:14is a sure sign that you're two ranks
9:23:16above them.
9:23:18Danny explained quietly with her eyes
9:23:20shut, relaxing while she could.
9:23:23Carl felt Ray laugh in his mind and saw
9:23:25Bob waiting for him to relay the thought
9:23:27out loud.
9:23:29They all had to think he was a bit odd,
9:23:31but it was somewhat like having
9:23:32earphones in where only you were hearing
9:23:34one side of the conversation.
9:23:37Ray questions the standard of things
9:23:38just dying when you hit them.
9:23:41She seems to think it's not that
9:23:42impressive.
9:23:44Carl joked.
9:23:45The mages chuckled.
9:23:48Well, for Ray, it's just normal.
9:23:51The rest of us actually have to work to
9:23:53make things die.
9:23:54I've noticed that your attacks are well
9:23:56above what would be expected of an
9:23:58awakened rank warrior as well.
9:24:00Is that a result of your class?
9:24:03Or is it just because Rend is so good
9:24:05against the targets we are fighting?
9:24:07Carl shrugged.
9:24:09It's a bit of both.
9:24:11Rend is good against fleshy targets.
9:24:14But I also get a boost to my
9:24:15effectiveness from Ray.
9:24:17Then there is shred, which is an
9:24:19absolutely brutal attack to begin with.
9:24:22It uses a lot of energy, but near the
9:24:24peak of awakened rank, shred will deal
9:24:26more damage than the peak ascended rank
9:24:28slash ability.
9:24:30Rend is already an improvement as an
9:24:32ability, but shred is superior to Rend
9:24:34at the same power output.
9:24:37Then when Ray's ability optimizes it.
9:24:40He let the sentence trail off and the
9:24:42others nodded in understanding.
9:24:44Then we get what we have here with a
9:24:46group of fighters that outperform their
9:24:48ranking.
9:24:49Bob finished.
9:24:51Doug finished making lunch and they
9:24:53waited for another hour before sending
9:24:55Hawk out again.
9:24:57There was still nothing to report, so he
9:24:59settled back into his space to recover
9:25:00energy more quickly and Carl kept watch
9:25:03in his place.
9:25:05That pattern repeated all afternoon.
9:25:08Hawk went for a flight every two hours,
9:25:10found that there was nothing worth
9:25:11getting out of bed to hunt, then cleared
9:25:13a few goblins and other minor nuisances
9:25:16and went back to his nest.
9:25:18It was the sort of day that every
9:25:19mission team wanted to have.
9:25:22A good fight in the morning with no
9:25:23injuries, then a warm shady spot to rest
9:25:26for the remainder of the day.
9:25:28But 10 km away, it was a very different
9:25:31story.
9:25:32Not every team that had been transferred
9:25:34could live up to the expectations of the
9:25:36deployment team, and many of them were
9:25:38being pushed back toward the nearest
9:25:39town as they retreated from the influx
9:25:41of hill giants and ogres.
9:25:43The radio had been at a whisper all day,
9:25:46and they had heard the movements, but no
9:25:48distress calls, and certainly no
9:25:50emergencies close enough that they would
9:25:51be able to respond to them.
9:25:54The teams immediately around their own
9:25:55were all in good shape today, and while
9:25:57they were all exhausted from the
9:25:59battles, they were holding steady.
9:26:02As night settled over the forest, they
9:26:04began their usual rotation, with Ray out
9:26:06to help the others keep watch, and Hawk
9:26:09sleeping in his space until the last
9:26:10watch, when the sky would be light
9:26:12enough that his vision was no longer
9:26:14limited.
9:26:15While Carl was resting comfortably in
9:26:17the fort that Ray had made for them,
9:26:19Dana was having a much different mission
9:26:21experience.
9:26:22Her team had been deployed to the far
9:26:24side of the battlefield, nearly 50 km
9:26:27from where Carl had originally been
9:26:28stationed, but they hadn't managed to
9:26:30stay there for long.
9:26:32Her team was not a group of devoted
9:26:34veteran mercenaries like Carl had
9:26:36gotten. She had been assigned to a team
9:26:38of slackers with a commander rank priest
9:26:40in charge of them.
9:26:41They treated the mission more like a
9:26:43prison sentence, complained constantly
9:26:45about every task they were assigned, and
9:26:47during the first battle were nearly
9:26:49outsmarted by a group of goblins.
9:26:51If it wasn't for the fact that she had
9:26:53two golems, they likely would have been
9:26:55overrun when the goblins circled the
9:26:57clearing, as their warrior was next to
9:26:59incompetent, and was more interested in
9:27:01selling her on his new multi-level
9:27:02marketing startup than actually
9:27:04protecting the group.
9:27:06The others were supposed to be rogue
9:27:07classes, fast and deadly, but in
9:27:10reality, they were all slightly chubby
9:27:12IT guys who worked at the same company.
9:27:15In short, the entire mission was a
9:27:17nightmare, but they had to keep moving
9:27:19because their group was so loud that it
9:27:20continually drew monsters to them.
9:27:23Can't you just cast that holy light
9:27:25circle around us and keep it up for the
9:27:27night while we sleep?
9:27:29The warrior whined as the sun went down
9:27:31at the end of their third day on the
9:27:32mission.
9:27:33The priest nodded.
9:27:35I can stay up all night and keep the
9:27:37circle active.
9:27:39However, the light will draw monsters to
9:27:41us constantly, like a beacon.
9:27:44So, as soon as I fall asleep, you will
9:27:46have a few dozen ogres and a thousand or
9:27:48more goblins to deal with, but without a
9:27:50healer.
9:27:52If you can handle that, I don't have a
9:27:54problem being your nightlight.
9:27:56Dana hid her smile at the way that he
9:27:58managed to say that without a hint of
9:27:59sarcasm in his voice, though it was
9:28:01clearly implied.
9:28:03What's the point of this anyhow?
9:28:06We're just out here getting attacked by
9:28:07monsters instead of making money.
9:28:10Do they have any idea of the amount of
9:28:12market capitalization that my group has
9:28:14missed out on because I wasn't there to
9:28:16help pitch new members this week?
9:28:18The warrior complained.
9:28:21Dana glared at the man, and the priest
9:28:23leaned over to whisper in her ear.
9:28:25Friendly fire is generally frowned upon,
9:28:28but if you have to, I understand.
9:28:31He whispered.
9:28:32She smiled back at him.
9:28:35It was obvious why he had been sent with
9:28:37this group.
9:28:38Not just for his strength, but because
9:28:40he was unendingly patient with slackers
9:28:42and idiots.
9:28:44I wonder what Carl is up to.
9:28:46Dana muttered as she started her watch
9:28:48that night, hoping that he didn't have
9:28:50to deal with a group like this.
9:28:52Ray would probably kill someone and
9:28:54pretend that they ran away.
9:28:56It was decided that she would take the
9:28:58first watch, and the priest would take
9:29:00the second.
9:29:01Each of their watches was 3 hours, so
9:29:04there were only three a night, but
9:29:05nobody slept well when anyone but Dana
9:29:08or the priest was on watch.
9:29:10They were rapidly becoming exhausted,
9:29:12but everywhere they were forced to move
9:29:14to, they ran into more ogres and
9:29:16goblins.
9:29:17It was like they never ended and just
9:29:19kept reappearing.
9:29:21Unlike the McKenzie siblings, her group
9:29:23didn't know that they were really
9:29:25reappearing daily.
9:29:27They had been tasked to clear the area,
9:29:29and that was what the priest was guiding
9:29:30them to do, but he had decided that it
9:29:32would hurt morale too much to inform
9:29:34them that the job would never actually
9:29:36end.
9:29:37The priest looked asleep, but he turned
9:29:39her way as she muttered to herself.
9:29:42He's with the McKenzie brothers.
9:29:45I heard on the radio yesterday that they
9:29:46were reassigned to an ascended area,
9:29:48which was suffering from attacks by
9:29:50groups led by commander rank giants.
9:29:53They're likely fine. The McKenzie
9:29:55brothers are solid, and brother Doug,
9:29:57their cleric, is a good friend of mine.
9:30:00He replied.
9:30:02Dana turned to face him.
9:30:04Commander rank giants?
9:30:06Isn't that a bit overkill, even if the
9:30:08group he's with are ascended?
9:30:11Her cleric shrugged.
9:30:13From what I hear, only the top
9:30:14performing ascended were sent, so
9:30:16whoever is with him and the brothers
9:30:18might include a commander, or maybe two
9:30:20powerful damage dealers.
9:30:22Your friend might not be having any more
9:30:24fun than we are, but at least his group
9:30:26is reliable.
9:30:28A crack of branches in the woods caught
9:30:30their attention, and then the stench of
9:30:32ogre reached their noses.
9:30:34Everyone up, we're under attack.
9:30:37The priest whispered as he shook the
9:30:38others awake.
9:30:40We just went to bed. Can't we do this
9:30:42later?
9:30:43I swear, if I have to sleep in armor for
9:30:46one more day, it's going to chafe right
9:30:48through my skin.
9:30:50The warrior complained.
9:30:52Dana's two golems intercepted the ogre,
9:30:54and she hit the monster in the face with
9:30:56a magic missile, blinding it while the
9:30:58golems hacked it down using the holy
9:31:00blades that the priest had created for
9:31:01them with a spell.
9:31:03See, they've got it.
9:31:05Just let me sleep.
9:31:07The warrior muttered as he curled up in
9:31:09his blankets.
9:31:11They hadn't been assigned a zone. They
9:31:13were just told to kill as many monsters
9:31:15as possible, so the next morning the
9:31:17cleric had them move out, slowly working
9:31:19his way back to the base camp, where he
9:31:21was hoping to be able to trade a few of
9:31:22the useless ones for a decent teammate
9:31:24or two.
9:31:26They were hiking through the woods,
9:31:27following a goblin trail toward the
9:31:29regional camp, when Dana spotted a
9:31:31considerable area of trees covered in
9:31:33spider web.
9:31:35The strands blended into the
9:31:36surroundings, but the scent of blood and
9:31:38the academy body lotion that Ray
9:31:40preferred for Dana to wear caught her
9:31:42attention.
9:31:43There should be another student around
9:31:45here, and there had been a battle. She
9:31:47was certain of it.
9:31:49I smell academy lotions and blood.
9:31:52She informed the others.
9:31:54The priest sniffed at the air for a
9:31:56second, but only looked concerned.
9:31:59Everyone spread out.
9:32:01There might be a group in trouble
9:32:02nearby.
9:32:04Don't get out of sight of each other,
9:32:05but there might be an injured member
9:32:07hiding in the trees.
9:32:09He ordered.
9:32:10Dana realized that she forgot to mention
9:32:12the web when one of the rogues began to
9:32:14shout in panic, and she could hear him
9:32:16flailing.
9:32:18It's a spider web, you idiot.
9:32:20Just cut yourself free and stand back
9:32:22up.
9:32:23One of his buddies called.
9:32:26You try it.
9:32:27My blade isn't cutting through it.
9:32:30He complained.
9:32:32Then use a skill.
9:32:34It's likely from a spider monster.
9:32:36Dana sent the golem to cut him free with
9:32:39the magical blade, and noticed a
9:32:40collection of items sitting at the
9:32:42bottom of a huge redwood tree.
9:32:44Then she looked up and saw that there
9:32:46was a rope ladder sitting in the
9:32:47branches, and some sort of fort above
9:32:50them.
9:32:51There is a fort here.
9:32:53Look up in the tree.
9:32:55It has a ladder, so it was made for
9:32:57humans, but it's made of spider silk.
9:33:00The priest informed the others as he
9:33:02noticed it.
9:33:03A druid?
9:33:05One of the rogues asked hopefully.
9:33:07Possibly.
9:33:09It doesn't seem that they're here
9:33:10anymore, but we can check if they left
9:33:12anything behind.
9:33:14The cleric offered.
9:33:16Other than box tree spiders.
9:33:19Dana asked with a gesture up the tree.
9:33:22Votes for getting the out of the
9:33:23creepy spider forest.
9:33:26The warrior asked.
9:33:28The rogues' hands all went up at once,
9:33:30and Dana shook her head as the cleric
9:33:32laughed.
9:33:33Well, at least we know that someone was
9:33:35in the area.
9:33:37That should explain why there are so few
9:33:39monsters here today.
9:33:41Let's keep moving, and we can inform the
9:33:43other groups of what we found, and warn
9:33:45them about the spider webs when we get
9:33:47to the base camp to resupply.
9:33:49The cleric decided.
9:33:51That level of web control reminded Dana
9:33:53of Ray, and she wondered if this was
9:33:55where Carl had been stationed when he
9:33:57first arrived.
9:33:59If they had built a fort, they weren't
9:34:01being forced to run from anything in the
9:34:02area.
9:34:04Of course, if she had competent members,
9:34:06they wouldn't have had to keep moving so
9:34:08much either, but her and the cleric
9:34:10could only hold things together for so
9:34:12long on their own before they were too
9:34:13exhausted to continue.
9:34:16Maybe they could just ditch these idiots
9:34:17and camp and join another team.
9:34:20That would be nice.
9:34:22One week after they had been transferred
9:34:24to the ascended rank area, Carl and the
9:34:26others had gotten into a solid routine.
9:34:29Breakfast in the fort, hunt anything
9:34:31that they had spotted on night watch,
9:34:33return for lunch, then either rest or
9:34:35make another loop in the afternoon if
9:34:37there were still signs of more monsters.
9:34:40They were also beginning to amass a
9:34:41rather considerable amount of money,
9:34:43thanks to the giants' habit of carrying
9:34:45gold and silver in their pouches.
9:34:48It was a mystery who was making coins
9:34:50for them, or who they had stolen them
9:34:52from, but the raw materials were still
9:34:54valuable, and they could make a fortune
9:34:55trading it in when they returned.
9:34:58But that wasn't the only thing that they
9:35:00had gained.
9:35:01Everyone was feeling much more confident
9:35:03and comfortable with their powers, and
9:35:05the last few days the giants had seemed
9:35:07to fall without much of a fight.
9:35:10It was difficult to tell if they were
9:35:11getting stronger or if the last few
9:35:13batches were weaker than usual, but they
9:35:15had a good feeling about taking the
9:35:16strength tests after they finished the
9:35:18mission.
9:35:19I sense magic in the area.
9:35:22Strong magic.
9:35:24Hawk announced that morning, just as
9:35:26everyone was getting ready for
9:35:27breakfast.
9:35:29Hawk says there is magic nearby.
9:35:31He didn't say magical beast, just magic.
9:35:35Carl whispered as Doug dished out the
9:35:37breakfast.
9:35:38They let Hawk lead them away from the
9:35:40fort, headed for the strong sense of
9:35:42magic, and only stopping for a moment to
9:35:45deal with a small group of lizard men.
9:35:47Hawk swooped down and landed next to a
9:35:49small pile of rocks.
9:35:52They were piled on top of each other to
9:35:53look vaguely like a person, and the
9:35:55hunters and trappers used the design as
9:35:57a trail marker.
9:35:59If you followed the direction of the
9:36:00marker, you would find the next waypoint
9:36:02and landmark on a trail.
9:36:05It's under here.
9:36:06He instructed, then poked at a larger
9:36:09rock nearby.
9:36:10Shattering the stone wouldn't be a
9:36:12problem for him, but he was concerned
9:36:14that if he broke it, he might break the
9:36:16magical thing.
9:36:17Some of them were fragile, and Hawk
9:36:19understood that the group was trying to
9:36:21get as many good things as they could
9:36:23while they were here.
9:36:24Just like the last time that they were
9:36:26out, but with fewer magical plants and
9:36:28more monsters.
9:36:30Thor flipped the stone with his horns,
9:36:32and a large pile of glittering gems was
9:36:34revealed, just sitting under the rock as
9:36:37if they belonged there.
9:36:38They weren't cut stones, just raw
9:36:41gemstones, but that was clearly where
9:36:43the magic was coming from, and now that
9:36:45the rock was moved, everyone could feel
9:36:47it.
9:36:48They had patrolled past here yesterday,
9:36:50only a few meters from this spot.
9:36:53If Carl looked hard toward the bottom of
9:36:55the hill, he could likely still see the
9:36:57blood stains from the battle a few days
9:36:59earlier as well.
9:37:00These gems had to have just appeared
9:37:02here, unless something had buried them
9:37:04here and left no signs of disturbed
9:37:06ground.
9:37:07Doug went through them, cleaning them
9:37:09off in a pouch full of water he had
9:37:11created, and then stacking them on the
9:37:13ground in an order that only made sense
9:37:15to himself.
9:37:16They're imbued gems.
9:37:18You don't usually use them in this form.
9:37:20They're normally carved and set into
9:37:22magical jewelry and items.
9:37:25These all have different properties, but
9:37:27I have sorted them by their basic
9:37:28elements or aspects.
9:37:31Do we want to sort them now or after?
9:37:34Doug asked.
9:37:35We can do it after.
9:37:37We've still got a zone to clear for the
9:37:39day.
9:37:40Bob gently reminded them before they
9:37:42could get distracted by the shiny
9:37:44objects.
9:37:45Doug sorted the stones into small
9:37:47pouches and tucked them in his robes.
9:37:50That must mean they were exceptionally
9:37:52valuable if he wasn't willing to leave
9:37:54them in his backpack with the rest of
9:37:55his gear.
9:37:57His pack was getting lighter as they
9:37:59slowly worked through the rations and
9:38:00other supplies they had brought, so it
9:38:02wouldn't be a burden to add a few
9:38:04stones.
9:38:05It was only Carl and Bob who had truly
9:38:08heavy packs now, as they were packing
9:38:10all the gold and silver that the group
9:38:11had recovered.
9:38:13If the gear wasn't made of monster
9:38:15leather, it might have ripped under the
9:38:16abuse of heavy loads and violent
9:38:18movements, but they were holding up well
9:38:20so far.
9:38:22Hawk hadn't even had time to take flight
9:38:24again when they heard movement in the
9:38:25woods nearby.
9:38:27Something else had been attracted by the
9:38:29stones or by their presence, and it was
9:38:31large.
9:38:33Thor turned to face the threat, and the
9:38:35golems shifted to take positions around
9:38:37the mages.
9:38:38There weren't many creatures incoming.
9:38:40It sounded like only a pair of large
9:38:42ones.
9:38:43That was confirmed when they crashed
9:38:45through the trees, but the fact that it
9:38:47was only two was no comfort today.
9:38:50Unlike the hill giants they had been
9:38:52fighting, these two were heavily armored
9:38:54like human knights of old, and carrying
9:38:56mauls with heads on them that were
9:38:57larger than Carl.
9:38:59There was no doubt that these two were
9:39:01both commander rank, and not on the low
9:39:03side of it either.
9:39:05Hawk took flight, knowing that he
9:39:07couldn't take a hit from something like
9:39:08that, and Ray skittered up into a tree,
9:39:11waiting for the right moment to strike.
9:39:13With them covered in metal armor, she
9:39:15didn't know quite where she should hit.
9:39:18She knew from experience that armor
9:39:20could be more durable than it looked,
9:39:21and this looked thick.
9:39:23The giants roared as they saw the
9:39:25humans, and Bob looked grim as he
9:39:27squared up against them.
9:39:29Thor wasn't going to take many hits from
9:39:31those mauls, even with a barrier from
9:39:33Donny active, and the golems weren't
9:39:35going to fare much better.
9:39:37The only chance they had was to finish
9:39:39them quickly, but with the armor on,
9:39:41that wasn't going to be easy.
9:39:43But other than their commander rank
9:39:45status, these two also smelled like
9:39:47magic, and Carl got the feeling that if
9:39:49they could defeat these two, there was
9:39:51something good in it for him.
9:39:53The giants made a sudden lunge forward,
9:39:55and Thor smashed the ground with
9:39:57earthquake, while Carl and Bob both sent
9:40:00attacks at their weapons, trying to slow
9:40:02the attacks or deflect them off target.
9:40:05The giant stumbled, and Ray saw her
9:40:07chance.
9:40:08She flew out of the tree, and both four
9:40:10legs plus her mandibles pierced one of
9:40:12the giant's neck right below his helmet
9:40:14line.
9:40:16The attack wasn't enough to break the
9:40:17bone, and with a spurt of silk, she
9:40:20pulled herself back into the trees.
9:40:22But the damage was done, and the giant
9:40:25was bleeding heavily from the back of
9:40:26his neck, courtesy of a triple lacerate
9:40:29attack.
9:40:30The giant fell to the ground as his body
9:40:33spasmed in pain, which allowed the
9:40:34golems to wrap him in vines, slowing his
9:40:37recovery while Bob and the mages
9:40:38unleashed their best attacks on him.
9:40:41Carl focused on attacking the arms and
9:40:43weapons of the other giant, weakening
9:40:45his attacks against Thor.
9:40:47The sero had dodged the first attack,
9:40:50but the giant had regained its footing,
9:40:52and the second real attack wouldn't be
9:40:53as easy to avoid.
9:40:55It didn't seem to care about its partner
9:40:57as it found its opportunity and swung at
9:40:59Thor, who rolled over once with the
9:41:01impact, but landed on his feet with his
9:41:03lightning barrier intact.
9:41:05The first layer of shielding had
9:41:07shattered, but between the two it had
9:41:09been enough that he wasn't injured by
9:41:10the strike, just thrown to the side.
9:41:13Donny was already rebuilding the shield
9:41:15as Thor charged inside the next strike,
9:41:17and Hawk attacked the giant's face.
9:41:20It simply ducked its head, and the
9:41:22attacks hit its helmet, but the
9:41:23distraction was enough that Thor
9:41:25finished his charge and slammed into one
9:41:27thick leg.
9:41:28The knee buckled, and the second giant
9:41:30nearly fell, only catching itself with
9:41:32its maul.
9:41:34That kept it off the ground, but it left
9:41:36the giant out of position when Carl
9:41:38attacked again, aiming for the gaps in
9:41:40the armor.
9:41:41The golems had pulled the helmet off the
9:41:43other giant, and Ray moved in for the
9:41:45kill, aiming at the soft flesh of the
9:41:47neck.
9:41:48That seemed to be the trigger for the
9:41:50upright giant to realize that something
9:41:52was wrong with this scenario, and
9:41:54instead of fighting back, it pushed
9:41:55itself to its feet and fled, running in
9:41:58the direction it had arrived from.
9:42:00Within seconds, the other giant died a
9:42:02brutal death, and by the time that Carl
9:42:05had finished checking Thor and Ray for
9:42:06injuries, Bob was already starting to
9:42:09strip it of its armor to see where the
9:42:10feeling of magic was coming from.
9:42:13Bob carefully dug through the bags that
9:42:15the giant was carrying until he came out
9:42:17with a large red flower.
9:42:19It was as big as a sunflower, larger
9:42:22than his head, and it radiated a sense
9:42:24of warmth and magic.
9:42:26Doug looked at the flower with interest.
9:42:29That is a phoenix lotus, a fire
9:42:31elemental resource.
9:42:33But it doesn't grow anywhere on this
9:42:35continent, so they must have arrived
9:42:37with it.
9:42:38Drinking a steeped infusion of it is
9:42:40supposed to be outstanding for fire
9:42:41mages and berserkers with fire elemental
9:42:44attacks.
9:42:45While our two aren't fire mages, they do
9:42:48have some talents with fire.
9:42:50Doug paused as Hawk landed next to the
9:42:52flower and began to stare at it with a
9:42:54bit of drool leaking from his beak.
9:42:57And it looks like Hawk might like some
9:42:58of it as well.
9:43:00How about I prepare it, and then we will
9:43:02try it over dinner.
9:43:04Even if the tea isn't enough for Hawk,
9:43:06he can always eat the remaining flower
9:43:08after I finish brewing.
9:43:10The process extracts most of the mana
9:43:12from it, but there will still be
9:43:13nutrients left in the petals, which are
9:43:15not edible by humans and therefore not
9:43:17included in the tea.
9:43:19He explained.
9:43:21You heard the man. You can have it after
9:43:23dinner.
9:43:24Carl informed the bird, which was
9:43:26contemplating snatching the flower and
9:43:28flying away with it.
9:43:30Bob passed the flower to Doug, who
9:43:32tucked it away in his backpack, and
9:43:34finished checking the giant's gear.
9:43:36They had all taken to trying on any
9:43:38magical equipment, just in case it
9:43:40adapted itself to the wearer, but most
9:43:42of what the monsters had worn was
9:43:44already damaged beyond repair by the
9:43:46time that they died, and the team didn't
9:43:48include an armor, so they just buried it
9:43:50with the bodies.
9:43:52There is one more piece under the body.
9:43:54We've got a magical sword this time, but
9:43:57that's going to be a two-handed blade
9:43:58for someone.
9:44:00The warrior explained, then passed the
9:44:02weapon to the mages for examination.
9:44:05Donny struggled to lift the blade and
9:44:07ended up leaning it against a tree to
9:44:09read the inscriptions.
9:44:11Normally, a human would never use a
9:44:13weapon like this, as it was too unwieldy
9:44:15and weighed five times what a normal
9:44:17two-handed blade would.
9:44:19But if it was powerfully magic, they
9:44:21could get a reward for bringing it back.
9:44:24According to this, it is a blade of
9:44:26ease.
9:44:27Using it makes your skills easier to
9:44:29activate.
9:44:31She explained after reading the rooms
9:44:33twice and verifying them against her
9:44:35notebook.
9:44:36Doug chuckled as he heard the
9:44:38description.
9:44:39That's perfectly suited for your needs
9:44:41in a format that you could never
9:44:43possibly use.
9:44:45The cleric was right.
9:44:47She specialized in barriers, and if they
9:44:49took even a few percent less mana to
9:44:51maintain, it would directly improve her
9:44:53combat effectiveness by a noticeable
9:44:55amount and increase the survivability of
9:44:57the whole group.
9:44:59The problem was that it weighed close to
9:45:0125 kilos to her less than 50.
9:45:04Even just carrying it all day would be a
9:45:06burden.
9:45:07Bob picked the blade up and gave it a
9:45:09twirl.
9:45:10It's not bad with my strength.
9:45:13It's not really my style since I'm on
9:45:15the front lines blocking, but it might
9:45:17be all right with some practice.
9:45:19He twirled the blade and struck the
9:45:21ground, activating a skill that sent a
9:45:23shockwave traveling away from him,
9:45:25leaving a deep furrow in the dirt.
9:45:28I would say that the reduction is close
9:45:29to 30%.
9:45:31He offered.
9:45:33The mages looked in longing at the
9:45:34blade.
9:45:3630% was huge.
9:45:38You might have to drop in at the academy
9:45:40and ask the berserkers for some combat
9:45:42lessons.
9:45:44Carl laughed as Bob gave the blade an
9:45:46approving look.
9:45:47I already trained on the two-handed
9:45:49blade quite a lot, actually.
9:45:52It's just not suitable in this group as
9:45:54we don't have anyone else to take point
9:45:56except Thor.
9:45:57The lightning sero snorted and stomped
9:45:59on the ground, then tossed his head to
9:46:01the side as if throwing enemies.
9:46:04He was quite certain that his armor was
9:46:06up to the task of dealing with enemies
9:46:07as the tank.
9:46:09Having more damage at the front and the
9:46:11ability to use skills with higher output
9:46:13without taking the stamina penalty for
9:46:15using skills near your limit would be
9:46:17much more valuable than a second
9:46:19blocker.
9:46:20All right.
9:46:22Thor can take point. Just keep the
9:46:23barrier up on him since he can't speak
9:46:25to call for relief.
9:46:28Bob reluctantly agreed when he saw how
9:46:30serious the scaled beast was.
9:46:32Doug looked at Thor for a moment.
9:46:35Don't you think he's getting bigger?
9:46:37I swear he was shorter than I was when
9:46:39we arrived and now his back is higher
9:46:41than my head.
9:46:43I think you're right.
9:46:45He's almost fully grown now.
9:46:47That's much faster than I had expected,
9:46:49but the exercise has been good for him.
9:46:52Carl agreed.
9:46:54Ray had also grown, though not as
9:46:56noticeably.
9:46:58She was at her full size now, roughly
9:47:00the size of a subcompact car when
9:47:02standing, though with a smaller body and
9:47:04long legs forming the rest of her
9:47:06silhouette.
9:47:07Hawk was just the same as he had been,
9:47:10but he was already adult sized and not
9:47:11expected to grow any larger.
9:47:14I think that we might have progressed
9:47:16further than we expected.
9:47:18With everyone growing, it's difficult to
9:47:20tell, but if we could fight against
9:47:22something that we know was on the
9:47:23borderline of awakened and ascended, we
9:47:25could get a better reference.
9:47:27They hadn't seen anything like that in
9:47:29days.
9:47:30Everything was somewhere in the ascended
9:47:32rank with sporadic commander rank
9:47:34leaders, which they were definitely
9:47:35getting better at killing.
9:47:37All right, let's scout the rest of the
9:47:39zone and see what else we have for the
9:47:41day.
9:47:42I have a good feeling about this one.
9:47:45I'm thinking that we should be back in
9:47:46time for lunch.
9:47:48Doug cheered as Thor took his place at
9:47:50the front of the group.
9:47:52Hawk led them toward a group of ogres as
9:47:54the radio announced that there was a
9:47:55reinforcement mission arriving later
9:47:57that day and for teams to keep their
9:47:59radios on so they could lead the relief
9:48:01groups in.
9:48:03Only a few would be getting replaced
9:48:04today, starting with those who had been
9:48:06in the field longest, but it was a good
9:48:08sign that they wouldn't be out here too
9:48:10much longer.
9:48:11Likely not more than another week and
9:48:13they would be on their way back home
9:48:15with bags full of loot and a number of
9:48:17new magical items.
9:48:19Bob hefted the sword over his shoulder
9:48:21and prepared to charge as Thor found the
9:48:23ogres, but the 5-m tall beast seemed
9:48:25utterly uninterested in fighting once
9:48:27they saw that there were five people
9:48:28plus the sero.
9:48:30Unfortunately for them, Bob did want to
9:48:32fight and Ray wasn't about to let them
9:48:35run away.
9:48:36The enormous sword whistled through the
9:48:38air as Bob activated slash on a downward
9:48:41strike.
9:48:42The arc of light raced away from him,
9:48:44slicing the ogre in half in a single
9:48:46strike.
9:48:48Thor charged and flipped the other in
9:48:49the air where Hawk and Carl hit it from
9:48:51opposite sides with shred, killing it
9:48:54before it reached the ground.
9:48:56I think it can be safely said that we
9:48:58have commander rank combat power now.
9:49:01If ascended rank ogres are falling in a
9:49:03single strike, not many would argue with
9:49:05our capabilities.
9:49:07Doug chuckled as he surveyed the
9:49:09aftermath of the brief battle.
9:49:11There is nothing else nearby.
9:49:13Everything ran away.
9:49:16Hawk informed Carl a few seconds later
9:49:18after checking for their next target.
9:49:21Hawk says there is nothing left to
9:49:22fight.
9:49:23We scared it all away.
9:49:26We might as well head back for an early
9:49:28lunch and see if anything comes back.
9:49:30Carl explained.
9:49:32Nice. Early day it is.
9:49:35Doug chuckled, pointing his staff back
9:49:37toward the fort.
9:49:39Once they were back and Doug had started
9:49:41on cooking lunch, Carl settled in to
9:49:43meditate.
9:49:44The three spaces were doing much better
9:49:46now and they were providing him with a
9:49:48lot more energy than they had a week
9:49:50ago.
9:49:51But they felt like they might be
9:49:52limiting the beasts inside.
9:49:55The three were growing so fast and he
9:49:57was slacking so much on his meditation
9:49:59that the spaces weren't keeping up.
9:50:02So, that was how Carl spent the rest of
9:50:04his morning, doing his best to improve
9:50:06the living conditions for his partners
9:50:08and increase the energy density in the
9:50:10spaces now that they were capped out in
9:50:12size.
9:50:13A few hours wasn't going to do much, but
9:50:16if he spent a few afternoons and nights
9:50:18at it, he might make some progress.
9:50:21The mages only meditated for a few hours
9:50:23an afternoon and that had been Carl's
9:50:25schedule as well, but it was becoming
9:50:27obvious that it wasn't enough.
9:50:29Doug looked at the group that afternoon
9:50:31when Hawk confirmed that there was still
9:50:33nothing to fight.
9:50:35He had eliminated a small group of
9:50:36goblins with a fireball while scouting,
9:50:38but their zone was otherwise barren.
9:50:41Do you think that we actually scared the
9:50:43monsters away?
9:50:45Most monsters will avoid the territory
9:50:47of a more powerful monster, so it's
9:50:49possible that either Hawk or Ray have
9:50:50scared them off.
9:50:52No offense intended to Thor, but the
9:50:54lightning sero isn't known for being
9:50:56dangerous enough to chase others out of
9:50:58their territory.
9:51:00The cleric asked while sweeping his dark
9:51:02curls back from his face.
9:51:04It is possible.
9:51:06We have patrolled this same area for so
9:51:08long that there should be a scent trail
9:51:10around the perimeter.
9:51:12If they sense that we're that much more
9:51:13powerful than they are, they will
9:51:15naturally avoid the area.
9:51:17Danny agreed.
9:51:19Bob smirked.
9:51:21To think we were sent here to deal with
9:51:23the monsters and now they're too afraid
9:51:25to come to the zone that we're assigned
9:51:27to.
9:51:28Is that a total victory or some sort of
9:51:30failure?
9:51:31Our orders are to hold this zone, so we
9:51:33can't just leave.
9:51:35The mages shrugged.
9:51:37It's a win for us.
9:51:39If the scent of Ray around the perimeter
9:51:41was enough to scare off almost all the
9:51:43monsters, then we did our job.
9:51:46The zone is secure.
9:51:48But how is that tea doing, Doug?
9:51:51Is it almost steeped yet?
9:51:53Doug nodded.
9:51:55I added one of the fire elemental stones
9:51:57to the mix and let it infuse.
9:51:59The mixture should be quite potent with
9:52:01that quality of flower, but it needs to
9:52:03be boiled down a bit more still.
9:52:06According to my alchemy book, it needs
9:52:08to be as thick as milk before it's
9:52:10completely extracted.
9:52:12Hawk had noticed that the tea only
9:52:13involved the core of the flower and that
9:52:15Doug had only reserved three petals from
9:52:17the flower.
9:52:19He had put one each into three vials,
9:52:21but that left almost the whole flower
9:52:23for Hawk and he was getting impatient to
9:52:25try it.
9:52:26As the tea rendered down into a proper
9:52:28potion, it began to glow with a soft
9:52:30orange light and the stone that Doug had
9:52:33set in the kettle began to lose its
9:52:34luster.
9:52:36There we go.
9:52:37All done.
9:52:39Now let me portion this.
9:52:41I've got five cups and three vials since
9:52:44some of us aren't good with cups.
9:52:46The cleric explained.
9:52:48He passed everything out and Carl passed
9:52:51the vial to Thor in his resting space.
9:52:54The sero just grabbed it in his beak and
9:52:56tipped his head back, swallowing it in
9:52:58one shot.
9:52:59Ray did the same, but seemed intrigued
9:53:02by either the taste or the effect.
9:53:04Carl took the shot of potion and it felt
9:53:07like fire was running through his veins
9:53:08as the effect spread through his body.
9:53:11He could feel it strengthening his body,
9:53:13but he couldn't quite grasp the power
9:53:15that it had.
9:53:17Doug had said it was a fire element
9:53:18resource and he didn't have any fire
9:53:20skills.
9:53:22But the excess was being siphoned off by
9:53:24Hawk, who was happy to take anything he
9:53:26had to spare, as well as the remainder
9:53:28of the flower whose petals he had
9:53:30started to chew on like bubble gum.
9:53:33Everyone settled back to let the potion
9:53:34digest and Carl returned to meditation
9:53:37while Ray volunteered to watch the area
9:53:39in case something tasty came to her
9:53:41webs.
9:53:43An hour later, Hawk decided that he had
9:53:45absorbed as much as he could for the day
9:53:47and he stored the remainder of the
9:53:48flower in his space so that it would be
9:53:50safe until he finished scouting again.
9:53:53He had a good feeling about the power of
9:53:55his fireball attack now and he had every
9:53:57intention of finding something to test
9:53:59it on.
9:54:00Unfortunately for him, they really had
9:54:02scared off everything and there wasn't a
9:54:04single monster to be found in their
9:54:06zone.
9:54:07But that didn't stop a determined Hawk
9:54:09and with only one more kilometer of
9:54:11flight, he found a group of lizard men
9:54:13skirting around their zone.
9:54:15A single fireball from the sky exploded
9:54:18in their group, killing three and
9:54:19maiming the others.
9:54:21Then Hawk saw the group that was working
9:54:23the area and flew away, leaving the rest
9:54:26to them now that his curiosity was
9:54:27sated.
9:54:29Is that your Hawk, McKenzie group?
9:54:31We just saw a dragon Hawk ambush a group
9:54:34of lizard men and fly away like it was
9:54:36nothing.
9:54:37The group asked over the radio.
9:54:40Yeah, that's ours.
9:54:42There's nothing left in our zone, so we
9:54:44let him scout a bit further out to see
9:54:45if they were just avoiding us or if the
9:54:47whole area was clear.
9:54:49Doug replied.
9:54:51The other groups didn't have to key up
9:54:53the microphone for everyone listening to
9:54:55know that they were cursing at the
9:54:56McKenzie group.
9:54:58Their entire area had been cleared.
9:55:00What sort of nonsense was that?
9:55:03Most groups could barely walk a circuit
9:55:05of their zone in a day, and he was
9:55:07claiming they had killed everything by
9:55:08lunch.
9:55:10The fireball works much better now.
9:55:12Almost as good as Rend, but over a much
9:55:15larger area.
9:55:16Hawk informed Carl.
9:55:19That likely meant that fireball was far
9:55:21superior to Rend at this point, but Hawk
9:55:23would not easily admit that.
9:55:26If he could single shot ambush awakened
9:55:28lizard men, it was good enough for Carl.
9:55:31That would allow them to take care of
9:55:32anything they were likely to come across
9:55:34on an academy mission.
9:55:36The group waited as Hawk scouted around
9:55:38their borders, occasionally attacking
9:55:40and killing monsters that were trying to
9:55:42avoid them, but mostly just marking them
9:55:44for the other groups that were in the
9:55:45area.
9:55:46Seeing Hawk circling and either sending
9:55:48fireballs or just screeching at them was
9:55:50enough to bring the groups over now that
9:55:52they were familiar with him.
9:55:54Their team was the envy of the region by
9:55:56the end of the day, and everyone was
9:55:58wondering what sort of super stars
9:56:00command had sent that could report
9:56:01multiple ascended rank monster kills
9:56:03every hour all morning until they
9:56:05cleared their area.
9:56:07There were commander rank monsters in
9:56:09their reports nearly every day, but it
9:56:11was the efficiency of the group that
9:56:12caught everyone's attention after that
9:56:14radio conversation.
9:56:16Carl meditated through the afternoon and
9:56:18the evening, as did the mages, who were
9:56:20still working to absorb the gains that
9:56:22they had made from the potion.
9:56:24Doug had prayed to his goddess for a
9:56:26while, but Bob didn't seem to believe in
9:56:28meditation, so he was the only one
9:56:30paying attention to the radio when the
9:56:32next round of replacement messages came
9:56:34through.
9:56:35McKenzie group, hold position for
9:56:37replacement.
9:56:39Your time slot is noon tomorrow.
9:56:42The command group informed them.
9:56:44Understood, command.
9:56:46We will do our best to have the morning
9:56:48clear finished before they arrive.
9:56:51Bob replied.
9:56:52That meant one more night watch, and
9:56:54they would be headed back home for a
9:56:56break before their next mission, or
9:56:58their return to work in the case of the
9:57:00mages and Doug.
9:57:02Carl wondered what it would be like to
9:57:03be back in the academy with the first
9:57:05years on the second floor after this
9:57:06mission.
9:57:08He had been ahead of them before, but he
9:57:10hardly felt connected to them anymore.
9:57:13The older students seemed much more
9:57:14relatable, and Carl totally understood
9:57:17why they were less interested in what
9:57:18was going on at the school than their
9:57:20next chance to go out and grow their
9:57:21powers.
9:57:23The advantages of training in the
9:57:24wilderness were just too good.
9:57:27There was little doubt that he would
9:57:28make it to the ascended rank the next
9:57:30time that they were tested, and he
9:57:31already knew that he could square off
9:57:33against most of the lower strength
9:57:34commander rank beasts with the help of
9:57:36his partners.
9:57:38Doug sighed and leaned back against the
9:57:40tree trunk.
9:57:41It looks like we did too well.
9:57:44But if we get to go home early, that's
9:57:46never bad news.
9:57:48We will have to go over what we have
9:57:49collected on this mission so that
9:57:51everything is split properly.
9:57:53The gold is easy enough to split on its
9:57:55own, but we've collected a number of
9:57:57magical items as well, and that will be
9:57:59much harder to value and split.
9:58:02Carl shrugged.
9:58:04What do you usually do when it's just
9:58:05family?
9:58:07He asked.
9:58:08We just split the money, and everything
9:58:10else goes to who needs it.
9:58:12Doug replied.
9:58:14That works for me.
9:58:16We've already split everything else by
9:58:18need, so it doesn't really have to get
9:58:20mentioned again.
9:58:21Just split up the precious metals and
9:58:23gems we collected when we get back, and
9:58:25it's good by me.
9:58:27I've got these nice gloves. Hawk is
9:58:29happy with his flower. Thor got armor
9:58:31for his tail.
9:58:33Ray might have gotten the short end of
9:58:35things, but at least she got some good
9:58:37snacks.
9:58:38Carl suggested.
9:58:40Ray laughed as she looked at all the
9:58:42commander rank beasts caught in her web.
9:58:45That would be enough to allow a regular
9:58:47bloodbath spider to grow from a
9:58:48hatchling to its full strength, as long
9:58:50as it didn't go bad.
9:58:52That wasn't a concern in the space, so
9:58:55she was certain that she had all the
9:58:56basic resources she needed, and now it
9:58:58was just a matter of increasing the
9:59:00speed, which meant either rare things or
9:59:02making Carl meditate more.
9:59:05Of the two options, it was obvious which
9:59:07was the more attainable.
9:59:09You know, if you just stay here in the
9:59:11fort, we could go fight while you
9:59:12meditate all morning. Ray suggested.
9:59:15We're not in that big of a hurry.
9:59:18It's better to have everyone together in
9:59:20case of a surprise attack.
9:59:23Carl replied while wondering if she had
9:59:25forgotten that he could hear her
9:59:26plotting in his mind.
9:59:28The next morning, they made a quick tour
9:59:30of the area following Hawk's directions
9:59:32to the monsters that had just appeared.
9:59:35Fortunately, the fights were easy as
9:59:37their healer was mostly distracted
9:59:39listening to the radio report the
9:59:41helicopters headed out to relieve the
9:59:43mission teams that had been called in to
9:59:44support the army.
9:59:46It sounded like the influx of monsters
9:59:48had faded all over the region, and they
9:59:50would be able to keep things under
9:59:51control without too much trouble.
9:59:54There had been some casualties among the
9:59:56elites who were pulled out from their
9:59:57day jobs, and command was planning to
9:59:59have all the departing elites gather at
10:00:01the base camps for a funeral photo
10:00:03shoot, though Doug made it no secret
10:00:05that most of those bodies would not be
10:00:07in any shape for viewing, even if they
10:00:09were returned to camp.
10:00:10Carl had seen a few of these on the
10:00:12television in the past.
10:00:14They were heralded as heroes, but it was
10:00:16never any of the famous elites. It was
10:00:19always someone like a young government
10:00:20pencil pusher who had valiantly run into
10:00:22combat when monsters threatened and then
10:00:24tragically lost his life.
10:00:27Of course, that was likely to be less
10:00:29than half the story, and he might not
10:00:31have been running into combat willingly,
10:00:33but it was good enough to settle the
10:00:34people and remind them that the elites
10:00:36were doing valuable things to keep them
10:00:37safe.
10:00:39McKenzie group, your helicopter is
10:00:41incoming.
10:00:42Please mark your position for the
10:00:44transfer of duties.
10:00:46The pilot instructed precisely at noon.
10:00:49We will mark the location with a blue
10:00:51smoke spell.
10:00:52We have information for the incoming
10:00:54team during the handover. Expect a 3 to
10:00:575 minute delay.
10:00:58Bob replied.
10:01:00Doug set the smoke spell near the edge
10:01:02of a clearing next to the fort, and the
10:01:04crew transfer came in for a smooth
10:01:06landing.
10:01:07Elites, good to see you all safe and
10:01:09sound despite having a student with you.
10:01:13You said you have information. What did
10:01:14we need to know?
10:01:16The captain of the incoming military
10:01:18team asked as he disembarked.
10:01:21First, in that tree is a fort made of
10:01:23bloodbath spider silk.
10:01:25It is safe and made by our team.
10:01:28You are welcome to use it as your
10:01:30ongoing base of operations.
10:01:33The whole area is secure, and monsters
10:01:35have been avoiding the perimeter thanks
10:01:37to the scent of the beasts on our team.
10:01:39That will change when the scent trail
10:01:41fades after a few days, so be prepared.
10:01:44Also, we have been burying the monster
10:01:46corpses with any damaged magical items
10:01:49they were wearing.
10:01:50If we couldn't use or salvage it, it got
10:01:53buried.
10:01:54So, if your team has a member who can
10:01:56sense magic, you will get plenty of
10:01:58false positives that are buried
10:02:00underneath you hidden by plant growth.
10:02:03Doug explained.
10:02:04Anything powerful?
10:02:06One of the soldiers asked.
10:02:09There are a few commander rank ogres and
10:02:11a mid commander rank giant with damaged
10:02:13magical armor that were buried.
10:02:15So, it won't just be weak signals.
10:02:19The cleric explained.
10:02:21The team leader whistled in
10:02:22appreciation.
10:02:24You really lived up to expectations,
10:02:26didn't you?
10:02:27They asked us to verify your claims, but
10:02:30if you buried most of the bodies instead
10:02:32of burning them, it should be easy
10:02:33enough.
10:02:35Ray giggled in Carl's mind.
10:02:37She had taken a lot of them for her own
10:02:39personal use.
10:02:41Carl, our beast master, has claimed some
10:02:43of them as pet food as well.
10:02:46Doug added.
10:02:47Carl checked on everyone to make sure
10:02:50they were safely in their spaces and not
10:02:52tempted to wander around, and Bob led
10:02:54them onto the helicopter as the scout
10:02:55for the military team confirmed that the
10:02:57fort was safe.
10:02:59There were 10 of them, not five, which
10:03:01would make it a bit cramped, but there
10:03:03was enough room for them to lay out
10:03:05their bedrolls, and that would be good
10:03:06enough.
10:03:08Nobody actually liked sleeping on the
10:03:10ground, and the spider web was a soft
10:03:12net as good as a mattress.
10:03:14The cargo master closed up the door once
10:03:17he was sure they were all in with their
10:03:18gear, and they took off toward the base
10:03:20camp for the area.
10:03:22You all look a lot more rested than the
10:03:24other teams we've been bringing in.
10:03:26I take it you're all veteran
10:03:28mercenaries.
10:03:29The helicopter's cargo master asked.
10:03:32Bob shook his head.
10:03:34I'm the only one who is full-time.
10:03:37Doug is a green dragon cleric with other
10:03:39duties, and the two mages work in
10:03:41digital security.
10:03:43The man nodded, then looked at Carl,
10:03:45whose name was left out.
10:03:48Oh, I don't have a proper job yet. I'm
10:03:50still in the academy.
10:03:52He explained.
10:03:54The soldier did a double take, then
10:03:56shook his head.
10:03:58You all have the look of veteran
10:03:59adventurers. I never would have guessed
10:04:01that you had a student and two
10:04:02volunteers with you.
10:04:04But that makes it even more impressive.
10:04:07The big boss has asked to meet with you
10:04:09all when you get back, probably
10:04:11something to do with publicity for the
10:04:12mission or checking your rewards before
10:04:14you head home.
10:04:16The soldier replied.
10:04:18Doug chuckled.
10:04:20I'm betting on them wanting to check our
10:04:21gear before we go back.
10:04:24With that many commander rank kills
10:04:25confirmed, they will want to make sure
10:04:27that we're not planning to sell
10:04:29contraband to the masses.
10:04:31Do you have any contraband?
10:04:33The soldier asked with a sly wink.
10:04:36Doug made a show of reaching into his
10:04:38pocket and pulled out what looked like a
10:04:40cigarette, but definitely wasn't
10:04:42according to Carl's sensitive nose.
10:04:44I am a green dragon priest.
10:04:47I am contraband.
10:04:49That one is on the church. Consider it a
10:04:51sanctioned sedative.
10:04:53Doug replied.
10:04:55Carl blinked slowly.
10:04:57Of all the things that he had considered
10:04:59about the possibilities of having a
10:05:01nature cleric around, including food for
10:05:03Thor, medicines, and the healing
10:05:05potential, he had somehow never once
10:05:07considered the fact that most illicit
10:05:09drugs were herbal in nature as well.
10:05:12The drug Doug provided wasn't
10:05:13technically illegal in the Golden Dragon
10:05:15Nation, just frowned upon by employers
10:05:18because it killed productivity.
10:05:20But still, it seemed to Carl that he had
10:05:22a lot to learn about interacting with
10:05:24others and smoothing
10:05:27If he had thought about keeping a pocket
10:05:29full of little bribes and gifts for the
10:05:31transport crews and others that they
10:05:32interacted with, he could rapidly build
10:05:34a reputation as a good guy who was easy
10:05:37to work with.
10:05:38And everyone knew that a good reputation
10:05:40would get you far in life.
10:05:42The transport helicopter landed at the
10:05:44edge of camp and Carl's group quickly
10:05:46disembarked after the crew handed the
10:05:48staff of the base a sheet of paper
10:05:50confirming their identities and status.
10:05:52Welcome back, elites.
10:05:55Please follow me.
10:05:57A stiff, backed young female staff
10:05:59member announced before leading them
10:06:01through the winding walkways of the camp
10:06:02toward the actual town that sat at the
10:06:04center.
10:06:06The boss will speak to you momentarily.
10:06:08He's just finishing a meeting with some
10:06:09government brass.
10:06:11She explained with a gesture to a row of
10:06:14chairs.
10:06:15Carl took his pack off and took a seat,
10:06:18placing the large bag in front of him,
10:06:20the same as everyone else waiting in the
10:06:21hallway had done.
10:06:23The distinctive metallic clank of coins
10:06:25sounded as he placed the bag on the
10:06:27floor, despite his best attempts to wrap
10:06:29them and keep them silent.
10:06:31The others briefly looked up, but that
10:06:33sound was nothing new to them.
10:06:36They all had some loot, and some also
10:06:38had chain mail armor, which made the
10:06:40same sound when dropped.
10:06:42Seconds later, Colonel Valerie walked
10:06:44out of the office with a terrifying
10:06:46expression on her face that faded to the
10:06:48neutral gaze that Carl knew was her
10:06:50version of a smile when she saw him.
10:06:52Colonel, it is good to see you again.
10:06:55The mission went far better than
10:06:57expected, and I will have a full report
10:06:59ready for you at the academy.
10:07:01Carl informed her with a smile.
10:07:04Understood. I will have your monitoring
10:07:06team collected, as I will be occupied
10:07:08here for some time.
10:07:10She replied.
10:07:12The elites in the hall stared as she
10:07:13walked away.
10:07:15Some in awe that such a highly ranked
10:07:17minister was here in a remote base camp,
10:07:19and others in appreciation of the way
10:07:21that her hips swayed as she walked.
10:07:24A voice came through the office door,
10:07:26breaking the silence.
10:07:28McKenzie team, come in.
10:07:30The man's voice demanded.
10:07:33Inside the office was a portly older
10:07:35man, completely bald with his head
10:07:37shining under the fluorescent lights and
10:07:39sweat stains on his shirt.
10:07:41It was obvious that he was not one of
10:07:43the elites, even without considering his
10:07:45age, just by the condescending look that
10:07:47he was giving the group.
10:07:49I hear that you have done wonderful
10:07:51things for the productivity rankings of
10:07:52the public safety department.
10:07:55Excellent work.
10:07:57However, we must check your equipment
10:07:59for contraband to ensure that there are
10:08:01no prohibited or sacrilegious items
10:08:03going back to the public.
10:08:05He smugly announced.
10:08:07Doug turned to Carl as if to say, I told
10:08:09you so, but Carl knew as well as
10:08:11everyone else that what the man was
10:08:13after was a bribe.
10:08:15He didn't give a damn about contraband,
10:08:17and his position in public safety didn't
10:08:19even allow him to handle it. He would
10:08:21have to call in the army to dispose of
10:08:22it for him if any was found.
10:08:25But if a few gold coins were declared
10:08:27suspicious, who would be any wiser?
10:08:30The others waited for the man to make
10:08:31his pitch, but Carl decided to move
10:08:33first and picked up Doug's backpack,
10:08:36which had nothing in it except what it
10:08:37had come with.
10:08:39He set it on the desk and smiled at the
10:08:41bureaucrat.
10:08:42Of course, that won't be a problem.
10:08:45Colonel Valerie of the Bureau of Elite
10:08:47Development already has our inventory,
10:08:49but you are free to verify the contents
10:08:51of the bags.
10:08:53Carl replied with a genuine smile.
10:08:56The man's face fell like Carl had kicked
10:08:58him, and his whole attitude changed.
10:09:01You met with the colonel?
10:09:03He stammered.
10:09:04Of course.
10:09:06She is my direct supervisor and has a
10:09:08pair of agents assigned to my
10:09:10development at the academy.
10:09:12We spend quite a bit of time together.
10:09:15Carl informed him.
10:09:17Then I think that we are finished here.
10:09:20I will get a copy of the contents from
10:09:21the bureau, and they can take
10:09:23responsibility for any contraband that
10:09:25might have made its way off the
10:09:26battlefield with your team.
10:09:28He waved to dismiss the team from his
10:09:30office, and they silently made their way
10:09:32back into the hall, where their escort
10:09:34was still waiting.
10:09:36That was a short meeting.
10:09:38I am glad that you could sort things out
10:09:40so quickly.
10:09:41The young woman greeted them while
10:09:43standing in the middle of the hallway,
10:09:45as if prepared to prevent them from
10:09:46leaving.
10:09:48Yes, it is always a pleasant experience
10:09:50dealing with public safety.
10:09:52Now, will we be staying here in the
10:09:54compound, or are we set to fly out right
10:09:56away?
10:09:58Doug asked.
10:09:59You will have to stay here for a moment,
10:10:01brother Doug.
10:10:03A voice called from behind them.
10:10:06Carl turned to see a rather familiar
10:10:08looking inquisitor behind them.
10:10:10If he was right, this was the big
10:10:12shirtless one from the seminary academy
10:10:14who had been present for his
10:10:15interrogation after the discovery of the
10:10:17trial instance holy relic.
10:10:20The man seemed to recognize him as well,
10:10:22but he didn't say anything as he led
10:10:23them away from the office, leaving the
10:10:25now smirking staff member behind them.
10:10:28The inquisitor led them into a
10:10:30soundproofed room and locked the door,
10:10:32then turned to Doug with an expectant
10:10:33look.
10:10:35Don't blame me for this one.
10:10:37The new guy name dropped the bureau, and
10:10:39the public safety guy nearly his
10:10:41pants.
10:10:42I take it that he hit the alarm.
10:10:45The cleric asked with a laugh.
10:10:47The inquisitor sighed and rolled his
10:10:49eyes.
10:10:51I got an emergency notification that
10:10:52your team had intimidated their way into
10:10:54bringing contraband back from your
10:10:56mission, and I was already standing next
10:10:58to you in the hallway.
10:11:00So, I need to check all your bags while
10:11:02brother Doug explains how things work to
10:11:04our newest ascended elite.
10:11:06Doug chuckled as he put his bag on the
10:11:08floor, as did everyone else, before the
10:11:11green dragon cleric turned to Carl,
10:11:13laughing softly.
10:11:15There is an unofficial policy that if a
10:11:17mission is run by an agency that isn't
10:11:19part of the elites, they tax the gains a
10:11:21maximum of 5%.
10:11:23It's a get-rich-quick scheme for the
10:11:25politically connected, but it's not
10:11:27officially sanctioned.
10:11:29However, unlike whoever you have used
10:11:31that intimidation tactic on before,
10:11:33these ones have connections that can
10:11:34make your day very difficult if you
10:11:36don't play along.
10:11:38Now, you know and I know that we don't
10:11:41have anything.
10:11:42But if I didn't know the inquisitor, how
10:11:44do you think our afternoon would have
10:11:45gone after he was informed that we
10:11:47definitely had contraband?
10:11:49Doug asked.
10:11:51Carl nodded.
10:11:53I see.
10:11:54I was thinking of him like the shift
10:11:56foreman at the mine that used to want
10:11:58bribes to clock you out on time.
10:12:00The guy in the office was such a greasy
10:12:02weasel that he just didn't give the
10:12:04impression of politically powerful.
10:12:06The big inquisitor nearly choked as he
10:12:08did his best not to laugh, then shook
10:12:11his head.
10:12:12Yeah, this one is definitely one of us.
10:12:15Young Carl has a lot left to learn, but
10:12:17he's off to a good start.
10:12:20You should ask him about how he managed
10:12:22to cutsey his way out of an
10:12:23interrogation by having Thor come out
10:12:25and beg for head pats until nobody could
10:12:27take the session seriously.
10:12:29Wait, there's not much about that he's
10:12:31allowed to tell.
10:12:33I will tell brother Doug privately
10:12:34after.
10:12:36But it's a funny story.
10:12:38The big man explained.
10:12:40Danny chuckled at the mention of Thor.
10:12:43He's a big suck.
10:12:45You should see him now. He's gotten huge
10:12:47in the last week with all the fighting
10:12:49that we've been doing against awakened
10:12:50and commander rank beasts.
10:12:53I always told you that it was the best
10:12:54way to gain power, and it looks like it
10:12:56works for the lightning serow as well.
10:12:59The inquisitor gave Carl a curious look,
10:13:01so he called Thor out, taking up half
10:13:03the room.
10:13:05Goddess, but he's gotten big.
10:13:07That's a full-grown lightning serow, for
10:13:09certain, and perhaps bigger than
10:13:11average.
10:13:13Thor might be ready to challenge for the
10:13:14position of pack leader if he was still
10:13:16in the wild.
10:13:18The inquisitor gasped, then gently
10:13:20rubbed the bone ridge that ran across
10:13:22the back of Thor's head, protecting his
10:13:24neck from attack.
10:13:26The inquisitor absently rubbed Thor's
10:13:28head with one hand as he finished
10:13:29sorting through the packs.
10:13:31The inquisitor turned to Doug, you
10:13:33should send Carl back to the seminary
10:13:35academy when you leave.
10:13:37We can exchange his share of the gold
10:13:39into the church bank account that all
10:13:40elites get set up automatically, and I'm
10:13:43sure that there are a few ascended
10:13:44clerics that would be eager to meet him
10:13:46before the next mission he goes on.
10:13:48We introduced him to mostly awakened
10:13:50rank students last time, but he's
10:13:52already outgrown that.
10:13:54Plus, you all likely need to be tested
10:13:56again, and that's done at the church.
10:13:59Doug nodded and looked at Carl to see if
10:14:01he had an issue with it.
10:14:03I will have to get permission from
10:14:04someone to go on another adventure, I'm
10:14:06certain, but I don't have a problem with
10:14:08that.
10:14:09Carl agreed easily.
10:14:12Brother Doug was a great healer, and his
10:14:14advanced cooking skills were a real
10:14:15lifesaver on this mission, but Carl
10:14:18couldn't count on having him available
10:14:19all the time, as he was graduated with a
10:14:22real job and responsibilities.
10:14:24But if he could find a nature priestess
10:14:26or another green dragon cleric among the
10:14:28students, he would be in luck.
10:14:31It might not be written in any textbook,
10:14:33but finding the best cook was an
10:14:35important part of developing the perfect
10:14:37mission team.
10:14:38Even the beasts agreed.
10:14:40Especially Thor, who now had a large
10:14:43pile of the special mount feed that Doug
10:14:45had been making for him daily.
10:14:47That was much better than the regular
10:14:49roughage that he could get anywhere in
10:14:50the wild or from the Academy cafeteria
10:14:53and the spell that Doug used made so
10:14:55much of it that even Thor's mighty
10:14:56appetite didn't keep up with the supply.
10:14:59He didn't tell the cleric that, though.
10:15:02Instead, he hid the extra in his space
10:15:04so that he had more for later when he
10:15:06didn't have a Doug around to keep making
10:15:08it for him.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of 10 HOUR | The First Legendary Beast Master Part 2 | Audiobook (Sleep/Study/Focus) by 10HourNovels, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 110,661 words across 18,594 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.