Chapter 308 - Found Friends

Nate guided the Solaris towards the confrontation happening in the forest below. Kiri had already made her way to the front of the flying ship and was getting ready to leap off as soon as they were close enough. Just in case, Nate created a Sound and Target rune on his Regalia so that he could hear the conversation taking place between Hrung’Jak’s team and their opposition. The words filtered into his ears a moment later.

“We’re willing to give up this Mid-Grade artifact as an offering to the glory of the Nightflower Sect, but that is all we can afford to give you,” stated Jak.

“This is your last warning wanderer,” spat a female voice, the term clearly an insult with the way she said named them ‘wanderer’. “Either give up everything, including your storage devices, or we’ll take them from your corpses. Everyone knows wanderers are weaker than those raised in a faction and we outnumber you. Do the smart thing. No one has to die here.”

None of them seemed to detect the Solaris as it flew over the top of them, unable to pierce the runes concealing it behind illusions and obfuscating its mana signature. Nate was pretty sure someone with a Wind-based detection ability or something like Concept awareness like him would’ve noticed. Kiri wouldn’t have though, as Soul barriers covered the ship to prevent that method of detection.

That was why when Kiri leaped off the ship it was as though she appeared from thin air. Nate watched as his sister slammed into the ground in a spray of grass and dirt. Frick was moving to take control of the Solaris as Nate painted within his Regalia before vanishing as he rewrote his position in Reality.

One moment he was at the controls and the next he was standing next to Fili. Jak and Gwen didn’t seem to notice Nate’s arrival but Fili immediately did and jumped before Nate saw the short woman visibly relax.

Kiri was already stalking towards the Nightflower Sect members and while her back was to Nate he could imagine that all they could see in his sisters eyes was the looming spectre of death. The Nightflower Sect members were certainly acting as though they were about to die. They’re black and purple robes ruffled as the four-person team of elves looked like they had seen a ghost and were backing up, preparing to run. Nate wondered just what everyone thought of them that the Nightflower team didn’t even seem to be considering fighting them.

“Hold up, Kiri,” called Nate.

“What?” she asked, pausing her march but not turning to face him.

“They gave Jak, Gwen and Fili a choice. All their findings, including storage devices, for their lives. I think it's only fair that we give them a similar choice.”

Kiri waited a moment, her scaled boot tapping the ground as she stared at the Nightflowers, “Well? You heard him. Drop it. Everything.”

“We thank the Prime Seeds of the Risen Sun Sect for their mercy,” whispered the lead Nightflower that had just a moment ago been threatening Jak, Gwen and Fili. “We will of course comply.”

What followed was a quick exchange where the Nightflowers divested themselves of almost everything. Nate could sense that one in the back possessed a small dimensional space attached to his Class Core similar to Nate’s own. A pointed look from Nate had the elven male opening the space but all that Nate found inside was camping gear and food.

“Keep it,” he said dismissively. “We have better anyway.”

Normally he wouldn’t have been quite so rude about it, but then again, normally he wasn’t shaking down Lesser Divines who had just been shaking down his friends. This was a special occasion and the Nightflowers deserved the added insult in his mind.

Once Nate and Kiri were satisfied the Nightflowers left in a hurry and within moments it was just the six of them. Six because Wulfgar joined them as soon as the coast was clear.

“On the eve of battle they come to our aid like tribal spirits,” greeted Jak, arms open wide as he tried to enfold Nate in a hug. 

The barrier got in the way and Jak quickly moved on to clasp hands with Wulfgar. Kiri on the other hand was already by Gwen and the two were speaking in hushed voices so Nate chose to focus on Fili.

“You’re even more trouble than I thought,” quipped the tiny woman. “Though… if the leaderboard is to be believed, you can back it up. How many teams did you destroy to accumulate so many points so quickly?”

Nate smiled gently as he could hear the fear in Fillow’s voice.

“Just the one so far. Most of the points are from System Challenges,” he answered.

His words were apparently loud enough for everyone to take notice.

“That’s a lot of Challenges to have completed already,” commented Jak. “You must have an incredibly accurate method for finding them as well as fast transportation.”

Nate could see what they were thinking. If the maximum points most could earn from a System Challenge was two-hundred, and most people didn’t earn the maximum, then Nate must’ve completed at least five or six System Challenges already. At least, that’s what he thought they must be thinking. But he had no intention of keeping secrets. Especially not when he was considering inviting them to stay. They should know what they were getting into.

“Just two, actually,” he replied.

“That’s not possible…” muttered Fillow.

“How?” asked Gwen.

Nate noted the tall woman had reached for Kiri when she asked, her hand retracting quickly after touching the black scales. Good thing she had healing abilities as putting ones hand on Kiri’s Destruction imbued armour was pretty unpleasant for most people.

Nate looked to Kiri and after a moment his sister gave him a nod of approval for revealing their secrets. He then turned to Wulfgar who gave a similar nod followed by a smile. The old warrior likely knew Nate didn’t have to seek his approval and appreciated the gesture.

“I set a new record in the Challenge of Balance and we killed a Greater Divine Demon Lord in the team Challenge,” he stated simply.

The looks on the three ‘wanderers’ faces couldn’t have been further apart. Jak looked ecstatic and Nate could already see the orc warrior dying to ask about the battle with the Greater Divine. Jak clearly hadn’t questioned his honesty for a moment. Gwen on the other hand looked like she had gone into shock, her hand raised to her mouth as she kept glancing from Nate to Kiri as though trying to decide whether to ask them if they were okay. 

Finally, Fili’s eyes had narrowed to slits, a clear look of disbelief. Nate didn’t blame her. After all, if two Lesser Divines casually told him they beat a Greater Divine would he believe them? Probably not. Still, it was the truth and he had the heart to prove it. Literally.

“Why would you tell us that?” asked Fili, her voice angry. “That sounds like the kind of information the bazaars would be selling for a premium! And you just what? Serve it up to us like it’s nothing? Like it’s yesterdays dinner? Here you go guys, we’re on top of the Leaderboard and did I mention that we killed a Greater Divine already and we’re on track to take this entire competition even though we’re from some Sect no one has ever heard of and oh yeah don’t forget that we’re also Second Evolution Lesser Divines. You know, only the most hunted Divines in the Heartlands because we’re basically a walking talking Divine Energy pay day! But don’t forget we’re nice and we saved you like heroes falling from the Nine Heavens damned fucking sky!”

Nate was pretty sure that Fili only stopped because she ran out of breath.

“We told you because we were going to invite you to come along with us and thought you should know what you were getting into before you did. As the saying goes, we’re laying most of our cards on the table,” said Nate in what he hoped was a calming tone.

“Isn’t the saying all the cards?” asked Gwen curiously.

Kiri was the one to answer her.

“There are a few things we will keep close to our chest for now.” The ‘for now’ was clearly stressed in such a way that Kiri was being unambiguous that she was willing to reveal them at a later date.

“Can we know what you’re keeping from us?” asked Jak curiously.

“Who our Master is and what he has us doing here,” answered Nate. He left off the final comment in his mind which was how they were so strong. He wasn’t willing to even hint at the existence of Divine Vessels and the Path of Ascendancy just yet.

“...would your Sect take us in?”

Nate glanced down, surprised that it had been Fillow who had asked the question.

“If that’s what you want,” he answered simply.

“Well, normally I would say this should be a team discussion,” interjected Jak. “But if you’re offering to let us join the Risen Sun Sect, even if it’s just as workers, I think we should each decide on our own. Your workers do have the chance of becoming Outer Sect members right?”

Nate looked confused and Kiri and Wulfgar were no help either. None of them had bothered to look into how Sect’s actually structured themselves since it hadn’t seemed that important.

“...what’s an Outer Sect member?” asked Kiri.

Gwen looked horrified at the question but it was Fili who asked what Nate acknowledged was the most pertinent question.

“How many members are there of the Risen Sun Sect?”

“Including Kiri, Wulfgar and I?” countered Nate.

Fili nodded.

“Six at the moment. That includes my Familiar, Frick,” answered Nate.

Fili facepalmed. Jak gawked. Gwen just looked confused.

“We’re dead,” muttered Fili. “We’re so dead.”

“Well, I’ve heard enough,” grunted Jak. “I’m in. Sign me up.”

“What?” yelled Fili. “They’re so small that they might as well be an independent team like we are! Jak! This is crazy!”

“You’re not wrong,” agreed Jak affably. “But they’re an independent team that seem to be capable of beating the crap out of Seeds. Yeah lad, I saw your crafting tournament. Watched the show afterwards. I’d have never believed you were a hybrid-crafter. And besides Fillow, they’ve got Peak-Grade artifacts. Even Wulfgar has one now. Wait…even Wulfgar has one now…”

The conversation paused as everyone looked at Wulfgar’s new Regalia, the blood-red metallic sheen flowing like droplets of blood and huge axe attached to his back that looked almost liquid.

“You didn’t have that before,” pointed out Jak stupidly before adding after a pause. “It is Peak-Grade right? It looks Peak-Grade.”

“It’s Peak-Grade,” reassured Wulfgar.

“Dungeon reward?”

Wulfgar shook his head.

All eyes except for Kiri’s flicked to Nate. Kiri on the other hand was rolling her eyes with an amused smirk decorating her lips.

“Alright,” confessed Nate. “Yes, I made his armour. Kiri’s and mine as well.”

“You can make Peak-Grade Artifacts at Lesser Divine?” asked Fili, her voice quiet but hopeful.

Nate gave his affirmation.

“I take it back, Jak. Best decision you’ve ever made. I’m in too! I’ll work hard, I promise,” reassured Fili.

Nate rolled his eyes, “You’ll need to supply the materials first. Even with the leavings of the Nightflower Sect I don’t think you have enough for a single Regalia.”

“Wait, we can keep that?” asked Jak, glancing at the pile of storage devices left behind by the Nightflower Sect.

“Of course. It was you they were threatening.”

Kiri nodded her agreement and Gwen drifted over to scoop up the storage devices left behind. Nate had done his own assessment and there were only Low and Mid Grade artifacts in the items and even totalling all the Divine Energy in them it was only around sixty or so. Not worth Nate and Kiri getting up in arms about, especially with what they were about to do.

“Alright, so, how are we getting out here?” asked Jak.

“All aboard the Frick express!” yelled a voice from above as Frick dropped the illusions hiding the Solaris.

“They even travel in comfort and style,” muttered Fili quietly. No one else heard it but Nate hadn’t disabled his Sound Rune and raised an eyebrow at the tiny woman who had the good sense to blush at being caught out in her envy.

Gwen flew up towards the ship while Kiri jumped off of what looked like the air itself a few times, bouncing up not unlike a flea in Nate’s mind. She was even all black in her armour. And equally hard to kill. He’d remember the comparison for the next time she decided to tease him.

While the others likely could’ve flown up using various devices Nate simply lifted them up with a Gravity Control rune.

Once aboard, Nate suggested everyone find a room and get settled in. Frick manned the controls and they were off flying a moment later, once more hidden behind layers of barriers and illusions. Nate noted Kiri leaving with Gwen and quickly painted something inside his Regalia, causing a minor alteration to Reality a moment later. Wulfgar led Jak inside and he could already hear the pair of warriors starting to trade stories.

“So this crazy bitch has got a serious bone to grind with Nate. And I mean she wants to grind on his bone… it was like I couldn’t control where my axe was going and Nate and her was just standing there having a stare off… shaved five years off my life…”

Nate sighed. He would’ve shut down Wulfgar’s conversation to try and prevent Perenthia from having an easier time of finding him but that cat was out of the bag the moment Nate had allowed the Nightflower Sect to go free. Those elves had laid eyes on both he and Kiri and that was ignoring the information that the Starbreaking Guild could be selling right now. Still, he didn’t have to be happy about it. Being stalked was not a lot of fun. Point of fact, it was terrible.

“You look unhappy,” commented Fillow as she sidled up next to him near the front of the ship.

“Just…not looking forward to dealing with some of the fallout from the plans Kiri and I have put in place.”

“You can make Peak-Grade Divine Artifacts. How bad can it really be?”

Nate glanced down at Fili, “We’re luring a number of the top teams on the Leaderboard into an ambush so we can fight them on our own terms before they gang up and ambush us.”

Fillow went white. “How many of the top teams?”

“I am guessing around four.”

“Okay, yeah, you’ve got a good reason to be worried,” agreed Fili through gritted teeth.

Nate looked out at the horizon. “It’s not fighting four of the top teams that has me worried. It’s that I am being stalked by Perenthia Illari’Svell and she’ll be able to use her Skills to track me down because of the ambush.”

“You’re being stalked by the daughter of the Severing Blade?!” screamed Fili.

Nate agreed with Fili’s assessment. When you said it like that it did sound really bad.