Alright, of it all, test twelve showed the best results, now to just redo it to its full potential to get the maximum effect.
“Mmh, Ben?” Thera asked as she woke up, still groggy and trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. “Is it morning already?”
“Ah, no. Well, I mean, yeah but you can sleep a bit longer, sorry if I woke you.”
“S’okay, I can get up. Want help with breakfast?”
“Sure, in a bit, I just need to finish up here.”
She was ...
2023-10-19 14:53:54 +0000 UTC View Post<Meeting’s about to start. Do whatever you need to and don’t make me regret this.>
“Relax, I’ll give you the finer details in a few days so for now go fulfill your godly duties.”
With his god giving him the heads up, Ben put down what he’d been working on in the shop and stepped through his new gate, bringing his clones along for the ride as he came out the other end in Thera’s old room at her family home.
When they’d visited only the day before she’d...
2023-10-18 16:09:03 +0000 UTC View PostThera woke up alone, the answer to where Ben had gone off to coming with the smell of breakfast that filled their home while she couldn’t help but acknowledge that she was feeling a bit better. She still felt the nagging worry about the future of her charm and where it would grow as time went on, but she was running out of energy to dwell on it unless something actively brought it to her mind and she had other things helping make it just a bit easier to handle.
One of which was their ...
2023-10-17 16:20:05 +0000 UTC View PostDays passed while Ben worked and planned, neither making any more legendary items after his first major success nor coming closer to thinking of how to help Thera with her charm. It wasn’t like he had zero ideas, it was just that they all felt terrible given what would have to go to making them happen.
Still, that one is really the best I’ve got. I’ll talk to Myriad about it tonight.
It was the sort of idea that demanded the help of his god if he wanted to make sure...
2023-10-16 15:11:43 +0000 UTC View PostBen went to open the door as it was knocked on, thinking he had known who it was going to be but getting the surprise of everyone who came with her.
“Big crowd, huh?”
“The day ended up a bit busier than expected,” Thera told him as she and the others came in. She seemed worn out but in better spirits than when he’d left her which was a positive as far as he was concerned.
“Yeah? Tell me about it.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Aso got to it first. 2023-10-15 14:06:51 +0000 UTC View Post
“Do I just inherently draw in crazy people? Dealing with Roan before and now this, what the hell.”
“Don’t forget Ben,” Aso chimed in.
“Ben’s not… Well, even if he is crazy, it’s a different sort of crazy. Gods above, I’m really not in the mood to put up with this.”
“Um, so if it wasn’t this that has you looking so bad Thera, wanna tell us what the matter is?” Sachel asked. “I wouldn’t mind being an ear.”
She really wanted to help if sh...
2023-10-14 15:07:45 +0000 UTC View PostGods above, I’m pathetic.
Thera never did end up getting more rest beyond a couple minutes of sleep here and there, instead she spent the day laying in bed, staring at the ceiling as she suffered with her thoughts.
Just as much as she hated that she couldn’t control her charm, she hated herself for how she was reacting to it. After having dealt with it for so long, she blamed herself for ever having hope that she’d be free of its effects one day, driving her so far ...
2023-10-13 14:02:11 +0000 UTC View PostHe finished the smaller projects he was working on through his clones and gathered them all together. While what he was thinking of making could have been accomplished through his true body alone, leaving the four to carry out different projects for the experience, the moment the idea popped into his head he knew he wanted it built and tested as fast as possible.
There were plenty of things he wanted to make in life, so many of them getting closer to within his grasp, with one in partic...
2023-10-12 15:02:45 +0000 UTC View PostHe woke up early as per usual, ready to start the day, only to get the surprise of finding Thera up ahead of him.
“Mmh, hey,” She muttered, eyes still closed while she pressed up next to him.
“Hey, you’re up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep. Mind telling aunty I won’t be at the clinic today? I really want to try and get a bit more rest.”
“Sure, I’ll let her know and come right back.”
“Don’t be dumb, you don’t need to be stuck here doing nothi...
2023-10-11 16:47:58 +0000 UTC View Post“Ah Ben, how did the rest of your investigation with Verbum go?” Myriad asked when he arrived as the god dealt with his work while a particular goddess was perched atop him doing the same.
“Well, me and Thera were both involved in the next two sections after the first and on the last we had to deal with a herd of a few hundred demons before nearly being killed by a proper invader but none of that matters. Helori, I’ve got a question for you.”
“Wait, that second part de...
2023-10-10 13:42:53 +0000 UTC View PostThe trip back felt as long as it was silent, nobody talking on the way, though not for lack of trying. After managing to get Thera to tell him what was wrong she’d gone quiet and by the time Verbum was up, Ben filled him in the best he could, even with the other’s ongoing fears making it hard. He was clearly picking up on Thera’s mood and had seen more than enough in the brief time he’d been conscious earlier to know that he in no way wanted to say anything and risk making things wors...
2023-10-09 16:18:12 +0000 UTC View PostIn that second, Thera registered shock in the demon’s eyes, an inability to understand just what it had experienced that left it unable to grasp that it should even be feeling pain at first before it screamed and reached back, pulling the offending object out and crushing it in its hand.
“Hey, not cool,” She heard Ben call out. “That was a good quality knife too. The enchantments on it were intense. Well, not like I need to tell you that though, right?”
Just before it tu...
2023-10-08 18:53:26 +0000 UTC View Post“Ben, watch Verbum!”
It was the only thing she could yell before the ground burst, dirt that had been turned to rock under the pressure she’d exerted shooting out as shards with the demon that had come with it hanging in the air while Thera took it in.
Tall and thin, the one before her had two sets of arms and legs neatly pressed against its torso as it lightly landed on the ground, seemingly unaffected by her attack that had obliterated its brethren.
How though? I...
2023-10-07 13:41:50 +0000 UTC View PostAs Ben laid out the simple plan in detail, it couldn't help but excite Thera. She was the star of it and it would be an act of pushing herself in a way she normally couldn't. It couldn't help but bring stars to her eyes as she anticipated challenging herself as an earth mage.
"Or we could do something that wouldn't end with all of us being collateral damage," Verbum begged at the end, being shot down by Ben.
"If you have a better idea then I'm all ears. For now though, this is the...
2023-10-06 12:53:27 +0000 UTC View PostThere was nothing pleasant about reaching into the mind of a dying beast, feeling the pain of its crushed body or its desperate struggle for life, but Ben pushed that away as well as he could to focus on what really mattered, touching the monster’s memories to learn its history, wanting to find whatever he could with whatever time it had left.
He could feel it wasn’t long so he threw himself in, seeing its most recent experiences and the feelings that came with it, so much dirt as i...
2023-10-05 07:26:31 +0000 UTC View PostAll of his minds moved to bring the world to a standstill the moment the demons burst forth from the ground below, letting him take them all in for what they were.
They shared matching body plans, looking like giant millipedes, the portions of them stretching above the ground already bigger than he was and hinting at plenty more still down below as they gently swayed while he worked to figure out how he wanted to approach things.
He could already tell Thera was preparing a spell f...
2023-10-04 18:11:05 +0000 UTC View PostThe flight to the final destination was quiet and uncomfortable, with Verbum tucked away in the back as far from the both of them as it was possible for him to get, eyeing the two with suspicion and concern the entire time until Ben forced himself to break the silence.
“So Verbum, I get you weren’t awake for most of that but good news, it was also an easy one. The gods are fully aware of who they are and the fact they’re out there so it’s nothing to worry about.”
“They...
2023-10-03 07:20:42 +0000 UTC View Post“Ahem, good seeing you too Taltho,” Ben said, trying to be light and friendly, even as he kept the unconscious Verbum from falling on his face. “And it’s really more of an accident that we ended up here. It’s complicated.”
“And your friend?”
“Also complicated. Um, since we’re here, why don’t we do a little tour of the village and I’ll give you a rundown?”
“Sound’s good, I’d love for you to see what we’ve built up since you’d last been here...
2023-10-02 11:42:35 +0000 UTC View PostNeither of them paid much mind to Verbum on the ground and as concerning as whatever had happened out there was, it at least eased Ben’s worries. Not knowing what had caused such an intense level of death and destruction had been worrying but finding out it was just something his girlfriend did made the entire area a lot more easy to deal with.
“Sooo, should I be calling you my lovely evil goddess now?” He teased. “I’ll convert away from Myriad in a heartbeat for you, don’t ...
2023-10-01 16:12:46 +0000 UTC View PostVerbum did not laugh once during the explanation. If anything, it only made him look more horrified, all the more so after he consulted his skill and found he was being told the truth, but it did put a quick end to the first of the investigation sites, leaving them to trudge back to the cart and move onto the next one in an awkward silence.
Interesting to learn at least though. Constantly bombarding plants with that sort of mental enchantment can have that sort of effect, I wonder w...
2023-09-29 07:27:54 +0000 UTC View PostYou know, between skill learner letting me learn uncommon skills easier and awakener helping me get to the next tier, all I really need is a title that would help me level my skills easier. Know anything that would fit Myriad?
<Not off the top of my head. If there was something like that that was easy to gain then everyone would be aiming for it though.>
Mmh, I guess.
<Anyway, stop worrying about trying to get even more and focus on what I’m sure...
2023-09-28 14:52:43 +0000 UTC View Post“Um, is this going to be okay?” Thera asked, the confidence she was feeling for the quest waning now that the day had properly come and she was seeing just who she was supposed to be looking after. “We’re protecting him, right? Not delivering him for an execution?”
It was easy to see why anyone might think such a thing given how Verbum was acting. Laying on the ground, he clung to Killi’s leg, seeming more like he was pleading for his life than off on an adventure.
“...
2023-09-26 06:20:33 +0000 UTC View PostHello all, hope everyone is well as we come upon another poll time! I'm managing to survive my family's month long visit but to make things slightly easier on myself this month's poll will have be options that never got picked in their last ones that I think I have some decent ideas for.
Also, as I said in the last poll, there will be an extra 14 chapters starting in the month of october so look forward to that kicking off.
Let's see, as of writing this I think that's about ...
2023-09-25 20:28:47 +0000 UTC View PostThera’s agreement was swift. How could she decline? Even if she didn’t care too much about advancing farther into the library, this was a request to them as rank-one adventurers, off to protect one of the most important figures in the world. It was the sort of thing she dreamed of when she’d first started, now waiting to be fulfilled.
It was obvious she was itching to take on the task now that it had been given, but they weren’t exactly being rushed for it either. There were sti...
2023-09-24 07:19:00 +0000 UTC View PostImmediately, Ben wanted to confirm he was right about what he was feeling and reached out with connect, linking with the man and letting him see the skills on his soul, finding exactly what he’d been expecting. A tier three skill, albeit one that didn’t have a level so it couldn’t grow, meaning he was sitting beside one of the more valuable of the summoned on the planet. All that left was just what it did.
“Akashic record huh?” He muttered, getting to see Verbum almost jump ou...
2023-09-22 20:46:13 +0000 UTC View Post“So, what were you looking to chat about?” He asked, acting as if the last few minutes had never happened. “I’m a fairly open book.”
“So you’ve shown. I had been planning to inquire about your skills a bit anyway, just not in a situation like that,” She sighed, looking apologetic as she did. “So you really are a holder of the knowledge skill, and at a high level too. Not that that should be shocking given the speed I’ve seen you’re able to process information. If y...
2023-09-21 14:26:07 +0000 UTC View PostUnlike the other invasion points in the world, the one by the city of Jacaar was nearly empty. The armies that had been stationed there during the first wave had all left, leaving no one in preparation unlike the many other locations, nor were there logistics crews or builders. Even those who’d chosen to return to the city for the time they had before the next wave would begin were avoiding that land, not just because of what it represented, but also thanks to a deal that had been struck be...
2023-09-20 18:23:28 +0000 UTC View Post“Uh, so is this a common occurrence?” Ben asked, trying to be polite despite the numerous questions the reaction had filled his head with, all while Killi was busy rubbing her own.
“Well, he startles easily and is a bit of a worrier, but this was definitely more extreme than usual. Gods above, just what could have set that boy off now?”
He noticed the keyword ‘now’ hinting that there were surely other events like that one, even if potentially less random, but didn’t ...
2023-09-19 14:24:59 +0000 UTC View Post“You pass.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You were looking to get access to the last two floors, right? You’ve passed. Come along, I’ll update your card.”
Being told that, he finally had the confirmation he’d been waiting for when she first came to question him like so many others had, yet picking at his sacrilege in a way only Yuzu and Elvat had before. The woman before him was obviously a tier three skill holder in his eyes, and had just confirmed that she was the same...
2023-09-17 18:01:38 +0000 UTC View PostSitting alone in her office, Killi had no idea how much time had passed while she’d been reading, each of her four arms holding a different document, her eyes scanning pages at a rapid pace to get through them as she absorbed it all, even if only one in particular was taking up the majority of her attention.
As the head librarian of the magic towers, she tried to go through all reports submitted to the mages guild for new techniques and achievements, always wanting to see if there was...
2023-09-15 19:30:23 +0000 UTC View Post