NOVEL NEXT Chapter 419 – Promising ally
Percy couldn't help but grin.
Not only had the notification appeared immediately this time – instead of forcing him to keep trying for several minutes – the words were also crisp and readable, painting a stark contrast against the jumbled mess his Status had inflicted upon him on Atlantis.
'Has it learned from its previous evolution how to better handle compatible Decrees? Or does it simply have more raw power to bully Obatala's Approval after devouring Ea's Gift?'
Either way, it was a testament to how supremely adaptable Phoebe's Decree was. Percy had long known that its focus was the development of one's spells, but it appeared there was so much more to it than that.
One thing that he hadn't paid as much attention to, was how much better his Status was than its competitors at recognizing and listing new elements. It wasn't perfect – since it clearly hadn't learned how alchemic principles, mutations or domains worked before absorbing the other Decrees – but it had still figured out a lot of things on its own.
For example, Percy was damn sure that none of the three Decrees had been designed with spectral traits in mind, nor with the intention of listing one's Decrees, both Enki's and Duwa's pages corroborating that conclusion. His Status – even in its original state – was the only one that had seemingly comprehended those foreign concepts by itself.
Another example was the way Percy's Status had handled his clones and familiar. Granted, it was still a little rough around the edges, but just the fact that it had recognized those entities as extensions of himself, giving them specialized pages connected to his own, was quite impressive.
'I should thank her if I ever get the chance. Her Decree certainly seems quite unique…'
Would the other two have even managed to merge by themselves? Somehow, he doubted it. Had he obtained the three Decrees in a different order, the results might have not been nearly as successful. Realizing how close he may have come to vaporizing his brain, Percy couldn't help but swallow hard.
Regardless, none of that mattered now.
Percy didn't think the calibration would be over before he returned to Remior, though he was confident the final step would also go more smoothly than the previous time. If the stars aligned, he might not even have to register all his entries again.
Shifting his attention to his host, he remembered they would be parting ways soon.
'Duwa… are you going to be alright by yourself?'
Percy felt somewhat uncomfortable leaving a child in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention that they were still in the midst of a storm. Of course, he also knew that was a silly concern to have, given everything else the boy had been through – most of it before their meeting. The two-cored Green-born had already proven he could brave the wilds. Besides, the southbound winds had already stopped tossing living projectiles at them, having probably run out of cyots a while ago.
'Are you leaving?' the boy asked back, cutting through Percy's words.
Percy shrugged.
'Depends. How long will it take you to return to civilization?'
'I don't know. I'm not sure where exactly we are, but I do know how to navigate. I suppose it'll take me anywhere from thirty to fifty days. Add a few more for the storm to end, since I don't feel like travelling through it.'
Percy leaned back on the carpet of barbed bushes, resting his host's head on the brittle plants as he contemplated his options. The winds still howled over them, but sticking to the ground wasn't as hard when they weren't jumping around. Even if the pressure flipped them over, it wouldn't hurt much.
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'I suppose I could stay a bit longer… Maybe visiting your cities would be worth my time…' he muttered, though he shook his head soon enough. 'Nah… I'd rather not risk meeting your gods. No offense – they sound like decent people compared to the deities I'm familiar with – but I don't know how kind they'll be towards an outsider. Worst case scenario, they might not let me leave. Also, I'm not looking forward to enduring this headache for months. The sooner I bring Obatala's Approval back to my main body, the better.'
At the end of the day, this was "just" a lesser spring. Percy would be unlikely to find any resources to extend his lifespan or accelerate his advancements. From what the boy had said, it didn't seem like the other Decrees the Gallimians had would be very useful either.
Sure, they might have a new alchemic principle for him to master, but he could just as easily find another lesser spring if he spent the same amount of time looking for one. Staying here came with too many risks and not nearly enough rewards.
Sometimes, the best thing someone could do was to quit while they were ahead.
The good news was that he wouldn't have to worry about Duwa being mistreated by his people. Even if the Gallimians weren't as united as the boy seemed to think, there was no way they'd harm one of their most promising Green-borns – a child who had not only completed Obatala's trial, but also obtained a second core with a rare affinity. In fact, Percy doubted he'd have to equip the boy with a concealment bandage.
'I suppose this is goodbye then…' Duwa said, a hint of sadness seeping through their connection. Percy even felt the child's eyes burn a little. Had the Gallimians' bodies contained more water, the boy might have teared up.
'Only for now,' Percy replied. 'You'll become a god one day, won't you? We'll meet again out there.'
Perhaps, Percy's greatest gain from this trip wasn't the new Decree he'd earned, nor the mysterious herb inside his spatial seal that he still hoped might contain some gravity mana.
Rather, it was his new acquaintance.
Percy didn't often think of his hosts as assets. Even the ones he'd enjoyed spending time with had been born at the lower grades, lacking the status or the influence to participate in interplanetary politics.
The only exception so far had been Gabe, since he had just about crossed the threshold to be eligible for godhood, but the bar was also a lot higher in the Vault, since they already had plenty of powerful gods and titans.
Duwa was different, however.
There was a decent chance the boy would grow up into not only a god, but one of his world's leading figures. Or maybe not – the road to divinity was long and riddled with difficulties, while Duwa was only a child. Still, he at least had the potential to make it all the way.
Percy didn't have that many enemies outside Remior yet – other than Rhaziel – but he was under no delusion that this would remain the case forever. As he continued to grow stronger, and once he began to infiltrate greater springs, he was bound to step on some toes. Thus, it wouldn't hurt to have some powerful allies too, just in case.
Clenching his fists, the boy nodded, a wave of determination rippling through his soul.
'I will. And I promise I'll pay you back for all your help.'
Percy chuckled.
'You owe me nothing, kid. We've both benefitted from our time together. I do hope we can stay friends though. Our people too – I'm not sure about yours, but mine could probably use a few allies.'
Methodically lifting parts of his wisp from the boy's injuries, Percy gradually gave up his access to his host's senses, allowing him to resume his recovery. Percy's vision darkened and his hearing deafened as the familiar tapestry of nearby souls appeared in their place. At the same time, he felt Remior's immense pull return with a vengeance, trying to snatch back the runaway soul that had stayed away for so many months.
Remembering something, he latched onto the boy's soul for a couple more seconds as he spoke again.
'Ah, I do have one final piece of advice for you…'
Duwa didn't reply, but he perked up.
'Try not to be so stubborn in the future…' Percy said. 'Rules are important, but sometimes it's okay to break a couple.'
Duwa sniffed, seemingly saying something in response, but the words never reached Percy's "ears". Letting go of the child once and for all, he allowed Remior to finally whisk him away, his soul drifting through the endless expanse.
Percy's mind still buzzed with pain, Phoebe's Decree chewing through it as vigorously as it did Obatala's Approval. Yet, that did very little to dampen Percy's enthusiasm as he pondered over all the tangible benefits he was about to deliver to his main body.
Leaving aside the modest willpower-infused pulses he might or might not be able to unleash, or his eventual promotion to Blue that was still centuries away, there was something else he hoped the new Decree would do for him a lot sooner.
It would add a "domain" section to his Status.
For anyone else, this wouldn't have meant much. What difference did a few extra words make, when he couldn't yet tap into their true purpose?
Except, Percy wasn't "anyone else". He had a pair of mutated eyes that hungered for any source of information they could learn from. And if his guess was right, the interaction of Ea's and Obatala's Decrees would lead to something big…