17.5

3rd Y.E. A., Month of the Wyvern, directly proceeds the Month of the Golden Beetle.

Eve was nervous. Wilson was pumping out so much mana it was challenging to see the physical form they were inhabiting. What could only be a System Avatar had a string of question marks in the description, so she stopped trying to examine it. She had experiments to get to, food to cook, and possibly a Sleeper to wake. They vanished as soon as Wilson got the signed contract, like a popped soap bubble.

As she moved to connect to the mental network with her allies, Eve pondered how effectively Bennie and Iantha would handle things with Charlotte. With the ability to see the future, and a priest to perform miracles, there was probably nothing that would go wrong.

Still, it wouldn’t be good to leave those two with a young impressionable girl like Charlotte for long. The future duchess’s bad habits might rub off on them. In the case of Bennie, that wouldn’t be too different from her current attitude. It would be a complete loss if it happened to Iantha.

Imagine the Seer turning her attention to timing the perfect verbal knife twists. Eve thought, shuddering. Immortality might not be such a blessing as first thought with something like that.

Eve twisted space around herself to secure privacy. Wilson’s casual show of terror had likely scared the living daylights out of anyone who saw it if the World Tree behind her was any indication. She could only imagine how city lord Ohm must have felt to have something like that appear. It would be like finding the island you lived on the back of a giant turtle hurtling through the Void.

Kudzu. Eve sent along the mental links connecting her to her allies once she was settled cross-legged and floating in the air.

Eve. Kudzu replied with a distracted tone.

Eve rolled her eyes and asked. Anything good?

Yes. It appears the Vampire method is a Contract. Kudzu replied with an excited tone. The alchemist who created it managed to bury the code for the contract into the blood’s tiny pieces.

Eve’s eyes widened as she realized what her green plant ally was claiming. Someone wrote the vampire transformation into the base DNA of the species. Even more astounding, they made it able to read and write to every species it contacts. Does there have to be a limit? Or perhaps there isn’t. I’ve never heard of Vampiric Divines, but who knows? Divinities sure wouldn’t advertise it!

Indeed! Kudzu replied. An awe-inspiring piece of work. Another alchemic plant probably did them. Birds haven’t shown the same level of Skill so far from what I’ve seen.

Eve grumbled under her breath about the racial superiority of flora versus fauna before saying, Will it help you build Tier potions? Allocating Skills or Spells through alchemical magic?

I already have a partially working series of tests for each item. Kudzu replied.

Eve took a deep breath before opening her mind to the Witch’s Dust. It was fantastic being Tier Six fully again without the crushing restrictions of an entire world bearing down on her. A quick look at each of Iantha’s team revealed they were all busy leveling against the mobs of the Red dungeon. In the time she’d been gone, they had progressed down several floors by necessity. It was an impressive showing which made her smug about investing in them.

Her eyes caught an elf approaching the World Tree she’d been slumbering under. He didn’t appear surprised to see her in the distance, so it was clear the Tree had told them about her awakening. The elf paused outside the spatial distortion cloaking Eve and settled down to wait patiently on a chair of wooden roots that appeared.

Not a high enough priority if the Tree hasn’t contacted me directly about it. Eve thought, looking at the elf before turning her attention inward.

Nota? Eve sent.

Yes, sister? Nota replied. Eve didn’t mind that her familiar was turning into the sister she’d never had. In the witch's opinion, it was better than other options and far less creepy.

Reverse Summoning, thoughts? Eve asked. She didn’t have the patience to do the math, but Nota had access to everything she did in the Eternal Memory. It wouldn’t be hard for Felix and her to work something out.

I can look into it. The idea is to link Kudzu’s offshoots. Then quantum calculate our position to escape? Nota mused.

Exactly. Eve replied as she placed orders to an auction house that would deliver into the dungeon. The demon bricks appeared to have expanded from their casino operations into transport. She noted with amusement that there was an offer to buy the brick stalking her a while back. Bookman, the dwarven Guildmaster of the Adventurer’s Guild, had acquired the criminal for almost coppers on the golden coin.

After several escape attempts, Bookman posted the creature to the auction house. The value of a demonic brick specialized in space was rather impressive. Eve’s eyes narrowed before she tripled the current bid. Was she vindictive? Absolutely. However, it would be worth it if the little piece of ceramic mayhem were willing to join.

Felix, I’ve got someone who will likely assist you. Eve sent to the blue crystalline companion.

Oh? Will they understand the complex underpinnings of reality? Felix replied in a slightly curious tone.

Who knows, it’s that little clay stalker from before. Eve sent.

Interesting. We’ll get a better understanding of Faith using their gifts. Felix sent.

An electric thrill pulsed through Eve as she thought of the implications. Has testing revealed any issues with the power of Faith?

Yes, quite a few. The one that is a game breaker is the ease with which it can be plundered. It is almost as if the entire concept of Faith in Deities was a slow poison. The results over time from my calculation almost always result in a Godswar. Felix replied with sublime clarity in his tone.

Did someone set the Divinities up? Eve gaped in shock.

Oh, not only that. They made the bait so enticing that any Divine that doesn’t use Faith falls behind. To the point where they have no choice but to tie into the corrupt practice or face extinction. Felix said in a smug tone.

Eve’s mind was a mess over the implications that someone had designed a real power boost that would lead to something like this. Some forces hate the Divinities to the core.

Indeed. The same type of setup works for the Demonic side too. Almost every entity except Eldritch can benefit from Faith, too. Felix sent dropping another bomb.

It’s a fuse. Eve replied in awe. A fuse causes them to limit their numbers without even looking like one.

I am confident some Divines can figure it out. Felix sent. The ones that know to hide and remain hidden when a War starts.

Eve let out a string of curses as she considered the contract signed with Vol via Wilson. It would paint a target on her back unless she figured something out. Shrugging, she turned her attention to the last ally on the list.

Hut? Eve sent gently.

Sister. Hut replied with the voice of a young lady.

Eve’s eyes sparkled at the tone. She’d always wanted a younger sister, but her parents couldn’t put in the work for one. Her mother had claimed that Eve and Matt had taken all the souls she had to bring into the world. The memory made Eve smile as she replied to the Hut. How are you? Is everything ok?

If everything wasn’t acceptable, Eve was going nuclear.

There were a couple of variations of nuclear energy combined with undead blighted mana that would probably work just fine.

Good. Nota. Fun. Hut replied. She still hadn’t broken her one-word speaking habit, but Eve wasn’t worried. As long as she was understandable, the mental link could carry images too. That was how she told Eve about the beautiful adventures in learning Nota had created.

Excellent. Don’t hesitate to tell Felix to talk to me if he becomes annoying. Eve sent the Hut. She was a sister, not a mother, and not a nanny. The hut would be fine without her constant oversight.

So, how are we set for replacing the final organic item in my body? Eve sent. Her mushy grey matter was the last piece of the puzzle that would free her from the mortal constraints she currently was under. It would be a delicate operation, but the recent adventures in Charlotte’s world had fueled the hunger to grow.

I recommend using a runic surgery room. Nota sent.

With spores backing up the machinery, there is little chance of problems. Kudzu said.

Eve considered how to work something like that into existence inside the Hut. There was no worry if she made a mistake because the Talisman of Dust would prevent death by weaving her back into reality. The main issue was how to deal with the pain.

I am pretty sure that directly replacing my brain will cause untold pain. Shifting the connections in the Soul will be the worst part. Soul Mana doesn’t take well to manipulation, creating pain that surpasses physical means. Eve sent along the mental connecting links.

A potion that affects the Soul formed by Soul Mana. It should be possible with what I have learned. Kudzu posited. I would need to pay for the System to solve it if time is pressing. The gaps in my knowledge could be canyons that lead to unforeseen endings.

Eve nodded to herself. It would be best to have the System work something out, but the greed of that entity for Soul Slots was like an abyss without end. Can you work on figuring out as much as you can? Due to the time dilation between here and Charlotte’s world, I can stay for a solid month.

A month will be enough because I am a genius. Kudzu stated without arrogance. To her alchemic ally, it was merely a fact of existence.

Excellent. Now I’ll see what this elf wants. Eve sent before dispelling the barrier and floating to face the waiting wood elf.

The currently nameless elf pulled a series of bounty posters out from within a robed sleeve. Handing them to Eve, he bowed low before scampering away with haste.

Eve glanced down, noting the first poster in the stack. It was a dashing individual with a flair for knowledge.

BRISINGAER the LORE-KEEPER

WANTED: Librarian of the Deep

Alias: The Memory Sage

Name: Brisingaer

Level: Unknown

Tier: Seventh (Estimated)

Race: Unknown

Class: Librarian

Profession: Scholar of Memories

Affinities (1): Mind

Mana: Unknown

Stats: Estimated 175k at a minimum

Monstrous Aspect:

Consumer of Tales X

Controlled Zones:

The Library of Forgotten Ones

Little is known of this individual. They are wanted for knowing too much by several Divines who will reward anyone bringing this entity alive. They are considered armed and dangerous as consuming stories empowers their abilities through the Consumer of Tales X, a Monstrous Aspect they are known to have acquired.

The reward for bringing this entity in dead is nothing and will incur the wrath of several entities. It is not advised.

Current Bounty: 1.5 Trillion Soul Slots (Alive) (Unharmed)

Taking them Alive and Unharmed is recommended for the bounty hunter’s safety!

Eve looked amused, apparently knowing too much wasn’t conducive to a calm life. If she knew a way to send a bit of Witch's Dust to the poor individual, they might not have to worry about being spied on by Divines. Thinking for a moment, she communicated her idea to the sparkling silver around her.

There was a pause before a medallion crafted with intricate and tiny runes dropped to hover before her eyes. It was a masterwork of craftsmanship fitted onto a half-dollar-sized coin disk—a little chain of interwoven silver links attached as if by magnetization to the top of the medallion.

“Then let us help, eh?” Eve said, placing the item into the auction house with a caveat that it could only be sold to the Lore-Keeper, Brisingaer. It was the least that she could do to throw a wrench from afar.

Once that little adventure was handled, Eve stored the rest of the Bounty posters and stood to levitate upright in the air. It was time to work and push some theories to practical proofs!