Untapped ~ Chapter Nine!

A green flash later, Joe found himself once more in the Grandmaster’s office, though somehow Pete had already gathered the necessary items and piled them up. 

The elderly man walked to the other side of his desk and put his hands flat on its surface as he stared up at his tower’s new member with great concern. “From what I gather, your foundation is terribly unstable. For you to have come this far, it is clear progression has been efficient, but… structured it is not.”

“That's fair, but it's been working for me so far.” Joe opened his mouth to say more, pausing only as he stopped to think about how he was going to explain his specializations. “It's just that, on this world, I have a bit of a handicap. My specializations are mostly focused on gathering large quantities of materials for crafting, not to mention creating structures.”

“Both of which are heavily regulated on Vanaheim, to the point of being entirely useless here,” Pete flatly pointed out, easily processing and accepting what Joe had to say in an instant. “Anything left out is absorbed by the world, whether that be garbage or a building. If you're going to help me become the SOAR, that is, the Sage of Alchemical Rituals, flailing about and coming up with haphazard schemes in the last moments are not going to be enough. Eventually, you'll find that your creativity has been outmatched by sheer skill. So… knowing what I know now about your lack of combat ability, I've decided that your first guided session is going to be a deep dive into your current status. Let's begin with your titles.”

Joe frowned at the thought of how he was being directed to begin such an invasive process and only the fact that he had a quest guarantee that Pete would help him reach Grandmastery convinced him to start sharing details. With a flick of his fingers, he summoned his title list and displayed it for the tower master. For a few moments, the Grandmaster read over the details, then glanced to Joe with something akin to horror in his eyes, and back at the list.

“What… a mess.” Pete leaned away slowly, as though the various titles were going to ooze out and infect him with their chaotic nature. “Superhero lander? Seriously? How is that possibly helpful?”

“Starting at the top, I see.” Joe wryly replied, pulling out a chair and flopping into it. “This is going to take a while, isn't it?”

“Not really, at least not this part.” Pete reached to the side of his desk, pulling a strand of pearls out of the pile and rolling over what turned out to be a necklace. “These are called the ‘Pearls of Wisdom’. It's a fairly rare necklace and earned its moniker thanks to its ability to save people from their past mistakes. What this does is allow you to set a title on one of the pearls, rendering it inactive, but keeping it as one of the possible titles you can re-equip down the line.”

“So it lets me potentially double my total number of titles without having to delete them?” Joe inquired with sudden interest, reaching for the necklace and pulling it toward himself.

“Not only that, but you will gain titles quicker when you have fewer slots filled.” Pete raised an eyebrow at Joe's stricken expression. “Surely you’ve noticed that, as your title slots filled up, you were offered fewer and fewer of them? Only for succeeding in extremely unlikely scenarios or doing something truly title-worthy?”

“That's true enough…” Joe trailed off as Pete stared at him expectantly. “My titles are very helpful-”

“Really? Would you say your ‘Superhero Landing’ has been truly beneficial? Especially when the damage it deals turns the kills you may otherwise accrue into terrain damage, and therefore only gives you partial credit at best? What about this one? ‘Pierce the Darkest Night’. Have you found that to be exceedingly helpful when you are generating rituals to attack your enemies?”

“That’s…” Joe grit his teeth before admitting that the fifty percent resistance to dark magic was mainly used when he was accidentally striking himself with his own spells or out-of-control ritual circles. “Ten percent armor piercing isn't something to scoff at-”

*Pah.* Pete scoffed at Joe’s weak attempt to convince him. “Tell me any ritual you have access to above the Student rank which uses dark-aligned magic? Most likely you won't be able to think of one, certainly not a combat ritual—as darkness is mainly used in either illusions or weapon enhancement. Or spells… which, while convenient, are the absolute last resort of a Ritualist. No matter what you might think to the contrary, we are not mages, wizards, or sorcerers. Now, I will concede that your ‘Tatum’s Chosen Legend’ has some merit, as does the ‘Monarch of Mana’ titles. I would keep your ‘Never Satisfied’ title until you complete its requirements and gain a skill, but the rest of them? Assign them to a pearl and pull them out as needed.”

Hackles raising at the casual way the tower master was giving him direct orders which would impact his ability to deal and receive damage, Joe started to snap back a reply, only to grind his teeth and keep his mouth shut at the last moment. As he took a deep breath, Pete nodded slightly, a faintly disapproving glimmer in his eyes. 

“As I said before… unstructured. Frankly, Joe, the quest I've given you is likely the best possible use of your time for the near future. You need to learn how to fight in an entirely new and, to you, unconventional manner. This world is too strong for you to start on that journey. More than anything, I'd recommend going all the way back to Midgard and starting over.” 

“Midgard!” Joe was on his feet in a flash. “You're telling me you want me to go back to fighting rabbits and foxes? I've used rituals to destroy thousands of monsters, build entire cities, start and end wars, and connect worlds together! How difficult do you think it's going to be for me to figure out how to use standardized rituals for combat?”

“Very.” Pete kept his cool, even as he watched the muscles in Joe's jaw clench and relax. “It's not just ritual circles, Joe. It's ritual circles empowered with alchemical substances, altered by ritualistically forged tools of the craft, layered with enchantments, and calculated by matrices. Tell me, if you can, when was the last time you put together a ritual and fought a monster directly? When the ritual struck them, did it do any damage? Or, more likely, did an extremely powerful ritual you concocted basically bounce off of your enemy?”

“I've designed ritual towers that blast hundreds of monsters apart every single day.” Joe's indignation began to dissipate rapidly as his mind fought against him, his subconscious repeatedly pointing at the beam of what should’ve been absolute death against the Jotun Brisingr. The monster was only annoyed and ended up treating the beam as a laser pointer, which caused temporary blindness and irritation.

“How about that direct fight I was mentioning? You've been able to go head-to-head with creatures or other sentients, as I did with Istvan, and come out on top… using rituals.” Though the words were not spoken as a question, they were filled with doubt and coupled with a direct stare. 

Joe's silence spoke volumes, and Pete bobbed his head, having fully expected this outcome. 

“As I thought. Again, this is not intended to be an attack on you, Joe. You've done extremely well with no guidance, or minimal guidance from someone who’s not well equipped to teach you directly. But now you're here, and you've seen a glimpse of what’s at stake. Like it or not, you represent our tower simply by possessing the class. First, remove all but those three titles, and let's talk about these… skills.”

Still somewhat unwilling, Joe nonetheless wrapped the necklace around his neck and concentrated on the first pearl. Taking a deep breath, he assigned his ‘Superhero Landing’ title to it, and the iridescent white pearl immediately shimmered with a myriad of colors before settling on a light blue. ‘Pierce the Darkest Night’ turned the next pearl metallic black, ‘Architect of Artifacts’ a deep burnt orange, ‘Anti-mage’ purple, ‘Immovable Object’ a light mint green, and ‘Councilman of Novusheim’ a soft pink. “That’s… done. Only three are equipped me now.”

“Get it down to two, and you'll find that the requirements for earning a title are eighty percent reduced.” Pete’s words did perk Joe up slightly, and the Grandmaster decided to throw him another bit of information as a reward for following through without further complaint. 

“If you've ever run into something called a ‘broken title’, those are what you should truly be seeking. Titles, just like professions and certain skills, can be thrown into the mix when you are creating new things. New things being skills, titles, classes, and even items. Imagine, if you will, plucking one of those pearls off your necklace and embedding it into a building you’re creating, guaranteeing it will have some form of enhancement as a named structure. This is what you are opening yourself up to by understanding what is possible.”

“Is there a list of-” Joe's question was met with a rapid shaking of the Grandmaster's head.

“Nothing we have access to. You might be able to chat with your deity to dig up more details, but honestly? This is exactly the sort of thing your ‘Never Satisfied’ title was made to help with. Information about higher-tier abilities is restricted for a reason—to encourage exploration, experimentation, and genuine growth instead of obsessing over some mythical ‘perfect build.’ Because, trust me, what’s ideal for one person might be absolute hot garbage for someone else.” 

Pete tapped the extensive skill list Joe was showing him, but instead of tearing into the bald man, the Grandmaster simply let out a deep sigh and shook his head. “Mir is going to have a field day with this. All I can recommend is that you find a way to pare this down to what you determine to be truly necessary. That, and choose only one or two combat spells to retain. The fact that you have ‘Wither Plant’ at the Journeyman ranks is more confusing to me than anything else. How about this… when you start using the Ritual Combat Manual, choose just one ritual to use for a few weeks, get used to stretching the bounds of what you can do by limiting yourself?”

“I’m sure that’ll be fine. But, look, I’ve been gathering spells because I'm able to convert spells into rituals, and the other way around,” Joe quickly interjected in an attempt to explain himself. “Wouldn't it be better for me to learn a larger variety of spells and-”

Pete lifted his hands and began to rub at his temples, then cradled his head and swept his fingers back while looking into the air. “Tell me, have you ever heard of scrolls? If you were to take a prepared spell at the Master rank and convert it to a ritual, what do you think would happen?”

“I’m… guessing that would create an equivalent-ranked ritual.” Joe let out a heavy sigh as his stomach sank. “Why did I never think of that? I even have spellbinding as a skill.”

“You sure do,” Pete agreed flatly. After that, he was silent for a moment, staring at a blank space on Joe's shared information. “I see you also have a few skills you are hiding even from me… I hope they are not too terribly taboo. Though, if I'm being honest, so long as you aren’t dealing with the eldritch, I don't particularly care. A few tricks up your sleeve will be necessary, just don't damage our reputation. What else, what else… professions?”

“Ritualistic Alchemist, a personal favorite… Ritualistic Metalworker, excellent. Grandmaster's Apprentice? Goodness. You have been rather busy on lower worlds, haven't you? But what is this first profession? It, too, is hidden to me, but why?” Pete waited for an answer, but Joe only shrugged in reply, unwilling to explain why he was hiding his Arcanologist profession. “Keeping that one close to the chest as well, huh? That's fine. Still, you've reached level thirty in your base class, which means you have space for six total professions. One every five levels. If you will at least take recommendations, I'd have you take upgradable professions instead of the full versions going forward.”

Seeing the incomprehension on Joe's face, the Grandmaster explained more clearly. “For instance, if you would pick up something to the effect of ‘Rookie Ritualistic Enchanting’, which only has five possible levels, you'd be able to double the rate at which you earn Lore skills associated with the profession until you max it out and upgrade it. It will not offer production bonuses or the like, but knowledge is far more useful than saving a few materials at the low levels while you’re working to rebuild your foundational class skills. I'd recommend seeking out any Master of the skill you'd like to base your profession on; they'd have information on how to attain such professions. Now, finally, a gift.”

Joe's head was spinning from the sheer deluge of information, though it was clear and succinct in a way he’d never come across before. Vanaheim was a world where people came to bring their skills to the pinnacle, and it truly showed at that moment. Until now, he had always encountered hesitation or half-explanations from those teaching him, as if they weren’t certain just how much knowledge they should reveal. But here, in this moment, it was different. The Grandmaster’s promise of a clear, unobstructed path forward had not been empty words: Joe was just starting to experience the full weight of its sincerity.

Gulping softly, he leaned forward in a half-bow as he’d seen the other Masters do. “Grandmaster, you've already given me an incredible gift. I didn't even realize how much I didn't know.”

“Hmph.” Pete let a huff of air burst from only his left nostril. “Well, that's interesting. You're an arrogant man, Joe, but at least when I hold up a mirror, you aren't afraid to look at your reflection and see what needs to change. Good. A slightly different gift, then.”

Swinging his left hand to the side, he smacked a book off the table, only for it to be instantly replaced by another that pushed its way up through the surface of the desk. Unlike the previous one, this version was ragged from much use, the pages crinkled and dog-eared, stains on the cover clearly showing it had been used as a coaster more than once. “Ritual combat, a standardized guide. I was going to give you a fresh one, but I think perhaps I'll give you my old copy. It has a few tips and tricks I've written in the margins. Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things, but this will serve you well as a baseline. Actually, take a few dozen extra standard copies. You know, in case you run into any other newbies out there.”

Joe reverently received the book, his aura already causing the stains on the outside to fade as he cracked open the cover and flipped to the first page. His eyes dilated as he took in the sheer density of information packed on to every page. Just as it had seemed, the book was well-worn. Intriguingly, the thick, handwritten notes across every open space showed how this was almost equal parts formalized manual and the notes of a lifelong practitioner.

There was a pleasing dichotomy between the precise-printed script and the hastily scrawled handwriting. Some lines were underlined aggressively, so much so that the ink had bled through the page, while others had intricate diagrams with small looping arrows which led back to concepts in the book, then to explanations written out in the margins. A quick glance between where they led showed how the hand-drawn connections linked esoteric principles to practical applications. Even if Joe hadn't been able to realize their purpose on his own, it was easy to understand the annoyed note written next to a crossed-out section: ignore that; do this instead. 

Looking at an actual ritual diagram, Joe saw how the standard spellcraft had been marked with symbols for alchemical injection points, though there were small notations beside them: corrections or perhaps enhancements? Either way, they deviated strongly from the standard method shown. Even at the very start of the book, it was clear to see the path Pete had been on, which had eventually led him to the peak of being a Grandmaster of Alchemical Rituals. For every note he had on a different subject, he had five or six when it came to alchemy combinations.

Warnings were scattered throughout the text, ranging from simple and direct such as ‘do not attempt in an enclosed space’ or ‘permanently dyes clothing purple’, to far more alarming ones such as ‘if the ritual circle starts humming, you've either done it very right or very wrong. If it’s a happy hum, run.’

Entire sections had been viciously scratched out and rewritten, with only a single word or two as explanation, such as ‘had a typo’ or ‘bad day’ to give a clue as to what was happening. All in all, this wasn't just a combat guide, it was an absolute mutant of a document filled with trial and error, not to mention ruthless refinement. As he flipped to the back of the book, Joe could nearly hear Pete's voice coming through the now near-calligraphically precise handwriting. He had to blink a few times as he tried to understand why such a fantastic, masterfully written note had been topped off with a crude stick figure falling apart seemingly in mid-explosion.

Under the diagram was an annotation: Don’t stand where it tells you to stand. Move three and a quarter paces to the right of the ‘recommended’ spot. Self-destruction is all but guaranteed otherwise.

Letting out a slow exhale, Joe carefully closed the book and allowed it to vanish into his spatial codpiece. “That’s… that was a lot. Thank you, Pete. This is going to be very helpful.”

“You'll miss out on some of the more… educational bits, but as a Master of Ritual Circles already, they wouldn't have done you much good, anyway.” Pete offered a rueful smile. “Last thing. If you're going to actually follow my advice and return yourself to Midgard, we have gear you can borrow for that. Not doing us much good here, so you may as well have it until we’re allowed access. This is a limiter, and it’s an example of what all five core skills working in combination can achieve. Here, this goes under your robes. This part connects at each joint, knees, elbows, ankles and neck. The band goes around your head, and… don't wear it in Jotunheim or above, unless you’d like it to crush you like a bug.”

Joe stared at the horrifying amalgam of metal spinning with freely rotating ritual circles and what appeared to be gaseous potions contained along the length of dozens of needles turned inward along the bands. “You can't be serious. That literally looks like something you'd find in a medieval prison or a horror story.”

Item gained: Tempering Body-Mind Sifting Refiner.

The Tempering Body-Mind Sifting Refiner is a specialized under-robe accessory designed for those who wish to walk upon lower worlds without violating restrictions. This is a masterpiece of ritualistic constraint, and wearing it forcibly reduces the wearer's Characteristics to a strict cap of 150 through an intricate system of active rituals, alchemical micro-needles, infused vapor channels, and enchanted mind-body feedback systems.

Effects: 

1) Forced restriction of all Characteristics to a cap of 150.

2) Engraved suppression rituals prevent all external or internal buffs from circumventing the restrictions. 

3) Endless physical training by way of restriction due to constant exertion passively training all body stats. Lower stats received greater focus and accelerated growth. 

4) Constant IV drip induces low-level agony, heightening bodily awareness and sharpening mind and reflexes through intensive self-awareness. 

“I admit, it's not something anyone would want to wear if they didn't have to, but I can guarantee its effectiveness. It won’t fail you in a critical moment.” Pete spread his arms, palms up as he offered blandly, “If you’d rather go to the lower worlds and figure out how to control all of your Characteristics manually, that is absolutely an option. Might take a few years, but it’ll be great for your willpower and patience. Just recognize that you’ll most likely need to hold still in the presence of those who are far weaker than you, and that even something so simple as blinking too rapidly may cause devastation to the local area.”

Joe's thoughts flicked to the king and queen of Ardania, who were forced to hold perfectly still in their own palace, so as to not accidentally suppress everyone around them to the point they couldn't breathe. Storing the gear away, he nodded at Pete, who looked on with an approving gaze.

“Despite its brutal nature, to those willing to endure its relentless nature, it offers something few accessories can: a path where every step forward brings you to perfect, balanced refinement. All it takes is walking forward covered in sweat, blood, and tears.” Pete shot Joe a thumbs up, “Get down there, and make sure to take some time enjoying being one of the strongest people around.”