Chapter 471 - Get a Life

Pareth’s signature skill was also designed by Sofia and Creation, as Pareth could hardly communicate anything. Either way, Sofia’s choice of hunting the Chimera in particular when choosing Pareth’s keystone had not been random. She had spotted four different creatures with Keystone imprints as she ranked up her heart, and knowing that ‘signature skill modifiers’ were a thing, she had specifically decided to hunt the three-headed beast.

Sofia couldn’t contain her smile as she read Pareth’s signature skill description again and again. “It’s perfect.”

[Chimeric armaments]: /SSS rank Signature Skill/

The Hero slew the foul beast; the summoner stole the bones, and he stole the soul.

Imbue your weapons, armor, and shields of light with a soul aspect each, granting them new abilities depending on the chosen soul.

Souls can be swapped between slots.

Imbued souls cannot be swapped in combat except by absorbing a new soul.

Soul slots:

Weapons (EMPTY; no ability)

Armor (EMPTY; no ability)

Shields (EMPTY; no ability)

Pareth will finally be able to fly!

“Now even the skeleton is a necromancer…” Kyle commented.

It’s not as good as I hoped, Clint mumbled in his beard.

Kyle rolled his eyes at the God’s comment, “What more did you expect? This is already among the best manaless signature skills we’ve made.”

Clint fiddled with the hammers in his forge, visibly annoyed. I thought it would be possible to quick-swap in battle. I built the architecture for it, but I suppose it was too heavy to keep, he explained.

Kyle laughed. “Maybe with an EX rank heart it would have gone through. I wonder if we’ll ever get another one of those. Hopefully not.”

“It’s not as if the Lords just go around giving essence left and right,” Sofia agreed, “but who knows. Speaking of which, I did not feel safe bringing that up earlier, but now, things seem pretty final so I might as well ask, did we not technically lose the wager?”

Kyle shrugged. “Yeah, you technically failed the trial. But we can only retrieve the essence when the mana heart breaks or sets without a host. Breaking your mana heart is not something we are allowed to do.” 

“So you would do it if you were allowed to?”

“If the rules warranted it, yes. But we suffer enough losses as is. If only the admins were still here…” Kyle said with a sigh.

Sure would make a lot of shit much easier… Clint complained with him.

Sofia felt her strength suddenly leave her, and the sudden shift did not go unnoticed by Kyle, who observed her with narrowed eyes.

It only lasted for a second, just the time for Mr. Scribe to send a short message.

[Now is the time. We must negotiate for more mana to evolve VPPV. Forget the old plan. Show them the picture, you know what to do.]

Just like that? Well, crap, alright. Here goes nothing.

Sofia did her best to remember the times when she still had the [Poker Face] skill, and carefully controlled her facial expression. She cleared her throat; “About that… Did you two know that the Admins have left a hidden base on Cerberus beta?”

A tense silence took over the previously relaxed atmosphere. Kyle and Clint looked at each other, and before they said anything, a white-haired old woman with a slightly hunched back and holding a simple wooden cane appeared right next to Sofia.

She spoke with a gentle but somehow sinister voice. We do not appreciate liars in this house, child. I hope you are able to substantiate your claims.

Sofia did her best to stay perfectly calm, she met the intense eyes of the old woman with a tranquil gaze. “And you are, if I may?”

Life. Now speak, child, before I send you to meet your sorrows.

Clint and Kyle were both silently nodding to Sofia as if they were even more scared of the old woman than she was.

“Certainly. I do not lie, and I have proof.”

I should show undeniable proof but I need to keep my best cards for the actual negotiation.

After a second of reflexion, Sofia produced a small stack of paper. They were some of the ones written in a strange, supposedly coded language with bars and circles that Sofia did not recognize.

Life’s cane disappeared and she hastily grabbed the papers out of Sofia’s hands. Her clear blue eyes quickly ran over the lines.

She can read it.

She raised her head, staring at Sofia even more intensely than before.

You! Where did you find this?!

“I already said where,” Sofia explained, her voice not as composed as she hoped, letting a hint of fear and precipitation show through her words, “I found their hidden base on the trial grounds-”

WHEN?! The old woman pressed her, causing Sofia both and Pareth an involuntary jolt, and making even Bookie disappear in fear as he returned to hide within Sofia’s soul. Clint stepped in, holding Life back with a hand on her shoulder.

Calm down Lina. Let her speak. He said to snap her out of it.

Calm down? CALM DOWN?! Life repeated, trembling. Her appearance started to warp as she yelled, she grew taller and wider, empty, soulless eyes appearing and disappearing at random all over her. The sound of her shifting voice shook the forge and the very reality around her. WE MIGHT HAVE HAD A LEAD TO SAVE ANNA RIGHT UNDER OUR NOSE ALL THIS TIME AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN?!

The Goddess emanated so much mana that Sofia was starting to suffocate, it was a sensation she had never felt before, even next to Erredis in her Dragon form. She was clearly feeling herself starting to fade. In a state of panic, she activated the ring of Zar.

Sofia lost control of her arm as it was attracted by an irresistible force toward the source of the boundless mana, like a tsunami, the mana rushed into the ring. For the first time, there was so much mana that it was not instantaneous, the ring sucked all the mana out of the forge. It was so much that it left the Dragon-scale armguard glowing red hot from the intense transfer of energy, something it never did even with the strongest of Angel bolts casts.

The mana in the room was quickly replaced by the presence of the two Gods, but the sudden interruption had stopped the Goddess' violent transformation, snapping her appearance back to that of a kindly old woman.

All eyes were on Sofia after her unexpected stunt, she felt that she needed to choose her next words very carefully.

“I can lead you there,” she told them after swallowing her saliva.

Life narrowed her eyes. You will. She ordered, before turning to Kyle with an accusatory glare, And you! How could you let this slip through?! DID YOU HIDE THIS FROM US?!

Kyle raised his hands in surrender, “I knew nothing about it. I swear on my soul. It must have happened after she was disconnected,” he guessed. 

Is he lying?

Sofia decided not to correct him. Maybe he was lying for some reason, but she felt that Kyle had looked truly surprised just like Clint when she had announced what she had found. Moreover, considering the current situation, she doubted that Kyle would have not been waiting for her when she left the Admins’ house, had he known at the time.

I suppose the house was even more well hidden than it looked.

Calm down, Lina, Clint repeated, his voice firmer now. Have the last three thousand years dulled your sense? Is this how you treat a bringer of good news? Stop your shit right now or I’m pulling your wrinkly ass back to our plane. He said with an absolute seriousness, lightyears away from how he normally presented himself.

Life took a deep breath, the continuous flow of mana emanating from her softening considerably. Very well, she said, You’re right. I let my emotions get the best of me. She turned to Sofia, I apologize, child. This was an unsightly display. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive this old mother. But such a situation… It hurts to see you so distant, Clint.

Mother?

Clint shook his head, What distant? I’m worse than you are, Lina, but lashing out on an outsider isn’t how we will bring her back.

You know, Mr Scribe, I am beginning to think that it was very fortunate that we did not end up using the original plan…

Kyle stepped in again, “Sofia, Pareth, I’m sorry that this comes to interrupt your trial reward, but can you lead us there right now?”

“This is nothing, I was the one who brought it up in the first place,” Sofia answered, “Had I known the people here considered Anna their family I would have reported it earlier. But yes, I can lead you there if you can take me to the IPS we landed at at the start of the trial. I have to warn you, though, there is not much to be found there, and most of the things that seemed of interest I already have with me right now just like the papers I just showed you.”

I will buy it all from you. Life declared without hesitation before Sofia even showed anything. Just give me your price.