The night passes without much of anything happening. I finally start on the next two crystals that Rayke sent , the ones with the next part of my enchanting training on them. I end up going to sleep a few hours after midnight, and as expected, Daniel wakes up just before the sun rises. Thankfully, I estimated the amount of sleep I would get correctly and feel refreshed enough in the morning.
I can feel the amount of mana accumulated inside my body starting to put pressure on again for the first ti since I got my new trait, [Mana-Body Synchronization]. It reaches deeper into than before and can support my body far better, allowing to boost with more mana than I've been able to. While we go through our morning routine, I cycle mana around my body, testing how well it responds now.
During our morning al, bear steaks again because it’s either that or deer jerky, I notice a person entering my spatial perception field outside the city. After just a second of watching them, I notice it’s rrick and warn the others. A few seconds later I open a portal in front of him and in front of the three of us.
“Thanks for the lift!” rrick says as he steps through the portal, his face is as friendly as ever. His eyes scan over , stopping for a mont at my missing left hand before moving on to the others. “[Self-Made Space Mage], [Sunlight Barbarian], and [Iron Mine Foreman]. Interesting. Can’t say I’ve ever seen any of those classes before.” His eyes settle on Daniel. “Well, not for combatants at least.”
Daniel just shrugs as he gives his response. “Eh, it was the best fit for what I needed.”
“Good, I’m glad you didn’t pass it up because of the na. One of the best close-range fighters I know chose a class called [Bone Setter Specialist]. It’s supposed to be a dical or healer class, but she did not use it to heal.” rrick's face shifts like he just rembered sothing particularly horrific but snaps back to his normal expression just as fast. “Speaking of healers, Stella has taken to her skills nearly as well as you guys have. She might even be able to give you a hand with that, Ray.” He says this while pointing at my missing hand. Nobody laughs. “Tough crowd.”
“Don’t quit your day job, rrick.” Daniel says, getting a chuckle from and rrick. Corvax looks confused, probably not getting the Earth joke.
“So, what are you here for this ti? Going to ‘teach’ us so more?” I ask.
“Bah, you’ve learned more in your ti here than you ever could have been taught. Plus, you’re all so fascinating. I want to see what you’ll do on your own, and the [System] likes that more too, I think.”
“What do you an the [System] likes it? Is it sentient?” I ask.
“I don’t think so, but I also don’t think about it very often, so I’m probably not the one to ask. But it does tend to give better rewards to those who are original, or at least unique. And what could be more original than you guys, who have nearly no knowledge of the [System]? Everything you do is because you guys discovered it sowhere and learned how to do it, not because soone held your hand through it. Everyone's path to power is different, and too much outside help can taint that.”
“So we’re just supposed to make everything from scratch, so to speak?” Daniel asks.
“Yes and no. I’ve taken plenty of ideas from other people or beasts or whatever it may be, but I’ve always adapted them to fit better and made them my own. I developed my own fighting style, as each of you are already starting to do. My advice is this: don't take any unwarranted advice, and trust your instinct. And also don’t go around telling people your abilities and stats and stuff, obviously.”
“Don’t you want to know what we got from our classes?” Corvax asks, clearly willing to tell the man who saved his family and led them to safety.
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“Nah, I can guess for the most part. And I’ll see you all in action soon enough, but that’s not what I ca here for. I ca to tell you guys that you have about two weeks until the expedition camp packs up and leaves. I’ll co by to get you guys then, but in the anti I need each of you to get used to your new abilities. Work on your skills, really get into them, and get to know them to the point you can even use them while sleeping. You guys are up against so pretty tough initiates, especially those from the Empire of Harran, but I believe in you.”
“Wait, what do you an up against? It’s not necessarily us vs. them, is it?” I ask, slightly worried.
“Who knows? Four planets have never been initiated at the sa ti before. I couldn’t even find any references for more than one planet at a ti in Barad's library. Well, Morah couldn’t, and then she told .”
“God, I hope it’s not so big battle royale for us initiates. But if it is, my money is on Corvax’s people.” Daniel adds with a straight face.
I hate to say it, but I agree with Daniel. Corvax’s race, the Traxi, do seem to be pretty superior to humans in the strength category. And the arms category. And the already having so kind of power category.
“I doubt it cos to that. Our purpose here is supposed to be to learn magic and the [System] and then bring that back to our own planets. Making us kill each other is like the opposite of that.” I say.
“That makes sense. That’s probably why Morah also told that.” rrick says nonchalantly.
I send mana into [Concentration], using it on myself to push certain emotions toward the back of my mind, mostly annoyance and irritation. I feel a slight calmness settle on my mind, causing my ability to think to beco slightly more clear and logical.
“So two weeks, and then we leave?” I ask, creating a vague schedule in my mind to get the most out of these next two weeks.
“Mhm,” rrick responds with a full mouth. He has taken a pastry out from sowhere and is now eating it. He didn’t even bring any for us this ti. “They will go straight to the expedition camp, but I have a job for you, Ray.”
“Why does Ray get all the fun [Quests] and the rest of us get nothing?” Daniel blurts out.
“Because none of you will be able to smuggle things into Barad like Ray will be able to.” rrick responds matter-of-factly.
“Why am I smuggling things into a city that your family runs?”
“Because I can’t do it myself, obviously. It’ll be easy. You just need another one of those storage thingies, the shittier bag of holding you made. Make a bigger one, and put so kind of protection or obscuring field on it. That should be good enough to get into Barad.”
“And what will I be smuggling?”
“Bones mostly, so slightly restricted alchemical ingredients and reagents, and a few brains and hearts at most. Maybe so kind of crystal or two. I'll have more details for you in two weeks. Just have the item ready by then.”
“Fine, but I better be getting paid. And I have the right to say no. I’m not going to smuggle drugs or people.”
rrick chuckles. “Of course you're getting paid, Ray. Who smuggles for free? What a ridiculous idea. And I’m sure you’ll be fine with the items.”
I push more mana into [Concentration], feeling the skill level up as I forcibly keep myself calm. He must have so kind of skill or trait that lets him be so annoying all the ti. I should check his class now that I have [Inspect].
[Level ?? Void Fiend]
Huh, I can't see his level. I wonder if that's because his level is too high or if he’s hiding it sohow. And that class, [Void Fiend], sounds like so kind of monster, not a class for a person.
“Well, if there's nothing else from the rest of you, I’ll be taking my leave now.” rrick says as he starts moving towards the door. He turns around to look at just before he leaves. “Actually, can you…?”
“Fine, which direction?” I answer before he can finish the question.
“That way, as far as you can.” He points out into the forest.
I stretch my spatial perception field as far as I can in that direction and open up a portal there and in front of rrick. He steps through the portal, but right before I close it, he takes off the small bag he is wearing and chucks it through the portal.
“Almost forgot that.” He says right as the portal closes.
“He is a good friend, I think, but he is very annoying and aggravating at tis.” Corvax says, and I can't help but agree.
“I don’t know whether I should thank him or try to punch him half the ti.” I say.
“To him, they are both the sa, I think.” Daniel adds.
I let out an exaggerated sigh as I let my [Concentration] lessen. “Anyway, let’s check what’s in the bag.”
Daniel takes the bag off the floor and removes all of the contents. The first thing is a few small paper-wrapped packages with a note on one of them. “You guys stink like shit.” Unwrapping it, I see it’s a bar of so kind of floral soap. The note gets a laugh from all of us, who absolutely do stink like shit. There are a few glass vials of spices, salt, pepper, cayenne, rosemary, and a few that I’m certain are not native to Earth. Whatever they are, they are very welco after days of only eating deer jerky and unseasoned at.
The last thing the bag contains is a bottle of so kind of dark liquor. Daniel takes a small sip and says it tastes like bourbon. All of it gets put away, except for the soap, and we head down to the stream where we’ve been collecting water to finally get clean.
After returning from our bath, where we also washed all of our clothes, we start to make so kind of ga plan for the next two weeks. We decide on doing mostly individual training, with all three of us going out to fight sothing together every few days. We already know we work pretty well together. Now it’s ti to work on our individual styles and get acquainted with our new abilities.
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