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Where do we find The Dark One?

It seems as good a question as any to ask Pi. After leaving the goddess and the dragon on the mountain, we headed back in the general direction of Yew. I had a feeling that the followers of the dark ones were somewhat close to the dungeon where Isa died.

The Mayor’s daughter was taken to a Church located to the North of Yew. I suggest you start there.

Oh, right. We can rescue his daughter while we’re at it.

You are very ambitious.

I laughed.

Thank you, Pi.

That was sarcasm.

I turned to Jericho as we walked along a dusty trail. “What do you know about the church?”

He shrugged. “Generally if we don’t bother them, they don’t bother us. They don’t often mess with the awakened. Just the peasants.”

He looked away sheepishly when I stared at him. “Look, I know you want to want to believe that everyone deserves a fair shake in the world, and maybe they do, but when a good chunk of the people have superpowers, they tend to lord it over those who don’t. I didn’t write the rules. I just make the best with what I have.”

“I get it,” I said. “I know how the world works. My goal is to bring back Isa. Nothing else matters. Not the game, and certainly not this church. If you don’t want to make waves, I suggest you part ways with us before we get there.”

We walked in silence for a while. It felt like I was meeting Jericho for the first time, and not the pompous showman he usually was. He heaved a heavy sigh. “’I owe you a debt, and I always pay my dues. I will accompany you on this quest.”

“That’s good enough for me,” I replied.

We traveled for several weeks. Part of me wanted to summon Cordelia to make the journey quicker and more comfortable but I also didn’t want to deal with her. It was for the best though. Bori grew stronger by the day as she hunted. Most of the monsters were so weak we would normally have ignored them if we saw them in passing. I laughed when I remembered my first experience with a raquirrel the day I arrived on Gaia. I’d soiled myself. That reminded me.

Pi, what is my resistance to the water now?

Your resistance remains at 54%. You stopped drinking river water when you arrived in Yew. Would you like to resume your training? Y/N?

I shook my head. One thing I’d taken for granted back on Earth was a solid supply of clean water. Ever since arriving in Yew, I made sure to stock a surplus of drinks in my bag. I pulled out a bottle of juice I’d gotten from Helen and took a sip. Even something as simple as lemonade tasted a thousand times better when it was S-ranked. Of course, Gaia didn’t have lemons, did it?

Stormberry Juice

Rank

S

Endurance

+27 (30 Minutes)

Special

Satisfaction (Buff)

I smiled at the name of the strange berries, wondering if I could make a business out of exporting them back to Earth. Then again, there was probably some sort of magic customs when it came to things like local wildlife and produce.

Khi chose that moment to weave between my legs, nearly causing me to trip. “Do you happen to have any milk in that bag?”

“Agh!” I cried out, stumbling forward a few steps. The weight of my stone arm meant it took longer than normal to regain my balance. “Yes, I have milk. If you don’t mind it being green, that is.”

The Cabbit sat back, licking its paw. “Is there another kind?”

I sighed. “Not on this planet, I guess.”

After rummaging through my bag, I found a saucer from my Mom’s china I’d packed in the bag and poured a generous amount of milk. Just when I’d set it at Khi’s feet, Bori raced by in the form of a lion, kicking the saucer over as she passed. She called out a hasty apology as she pounced something in a nearby bush.

Khi sighed, licking the last dregs of milk from the bowl. I scritched his head and poured some more. He glanced over at Bori, looking like he expected another attack from the overzealous dungeon core. When none came, he contented himself to have a drink.

Ceru also tried to get some training in. Her philosophy for battle had always been to make herself bigger and attack with crude weapons. Even the women were naturally stronger than Humans. The unawakened ones that was. I had to find a way to make her more effective in battle.

Is there anything we can do for Ceru?

Beastmen progress differently than Humans. While they do not have classes or any of the associated perks of Magic, they can and do level up. With every level comes different perks and abilities depending on the Ogre. There is also the potential to evolve at set intervals.

That was different. I thought all Ogres were the same.

Does that mean Ceru might be strong?

As Clan Chana, she is considered royalty. It is the equivalent of Princess. She will likely gain powerful traits as she levels into them.

What level is Ceru anyway?

Cerulean Levesc

Level

3

Class

Ogre Chana

Affection Level

Extra Friendly

“You have a last name.” I pointed out, startling the Ogre, who was wrestling with a tiny monster.

She tossed me a smile, not phased in the slightest by the squirming monster she was sitting on. “Of course, I do. I am the Chana, so it’s completely natural for me to have one.”

She should get a powerful trait at level 5. You should push to level her up before you arrive at the church.

That’s a good point.

We decided to set up camp and figure out a way to help Bori and Ceru get some extra levels. I knelt in front of Khi and asked, “Do you need help leveling up?”

He yawned, looking largely unimpressed before sitting on his haunches and closing his eyes. The next thing I knew the hulking form I’d seen take out a Yeti sat before me. “So that you know, I’m currently level twenty-nine. I’m capable of taking care of myself. If you are asking me to fight with you while we level up as a team, then I’d be happy to accept your offer.”

I was a little taken aback by the bluntness of his reply, but it suited me all the same. “Sure, it’s a plan. I’d like to get Ceru to level five and get Bori some more monsters to turn into.”

I had a feeling that dungeons leveled differently than adventurers. Their system involved absorbing ambient mana. While they did absorb mana from fallen adventurers, it wasn’t the only way they grew. Did she rank up or just grow more powerful as she absorbed mana? Time would tell. We also needed to expose her to bigger monsters so she could summon them.

The last member of the group was the bard. I realized I knew next to nothing about him. Pi never supplied it and it never dawned on me to ask. He was just a bard. It wasn’t like he held a dagger to my throat. He always attacked with words.

Jericho

Level

47

Class

Lyramancer

Affection Level

Guarded

“Hey, wait,” I said, glancing over at him. “I thought you were a bard.”

He chuckled. “I was wondering when you were going to use that uncanny ability of yours on me. I am a form of a bard. Maybe not what you’re used to from your world, but Lyramancers serve the same purpose.”

“You’re also a lot higher level than I thought,” I observed.

He gave me a lopsided grin. I couldn’t tell if he was mocking me or happy that I’d noticed. “I’m also a lot older than you. Give it time. You’ll level up. If you don’t die, that is.”

“I don’t plan on it,” I replied icily.

Jericho laughed again. “You say that, but you’re making preparations to march into the house of The Dark One. Some might say you’ve got a death wish.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” I replied.

It took us another week to get Ceru to level five. We worked as a team to find something hard enough to give her a serious challenge. That monster was a Griffon that, while low level, was a rank higher than the normal monsters we typically ran into.

With the back half of a Lion and the wings and beak of an Eagle, the monster swooped and dove at me with both talons and its rear claws extended.

I donned Cornerstone like a suit of armor and wielded Excalibur while Porky, Bori, and Ceru attacked the monster from the rear. Even covered in a wall of stone, the Griffon crashed into me like a freight train. I staggered back and forced more stone around my legs to brace myself.

The Griffon roared as a trio of muscular Cabbits ripped into it. Ceru altered her form to match Khi and Bori created a similar construct. Off in the distance, Jericho played a horn like he was signaling the start of a war.

Once I’d regained my balance, I lashed out with Excalibur, catching the Griffon on one of its talons. It screeched at me and shook, attempting to throw off the trio of Cabbits. Khi was doing the most damage to the monster by far. He was more used to his body than the other two who were only borrowing it for the first time. Ceru especially struggled. The body transformations she went through were much more effective as an illusion than a means of fighting. She struggled with her claws and was hesitant to bite the back of Griffon. Bori had no such reservations but was still unfamiliar with the construct she’d created. In a dungeon, she might seem perfectly formidable, but fighting alongside Khi, it was obvious who the real Cabbit was. He took advantage of the Griffon's attempts to buck the others off, to climb between the Griffon’s wings and get access to its feathered neck. The Griffon made one final attempt to snap at me with its beak before Khi managed to dig a claw into its spine. It lurched as Khi’s attack found a critical point and dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.

Ceru fell to the ground, twitching, the instant the monster fell, making me worry she’s hurt herself when it flung her to the floor. However, it was something else.

Beastmen level up differently than Humans. They can do so while awake. Cerulean hit a major threshold, Level 5.

Why is she squirming like that?

You may not be aware because you are a sound sleeper, but leveling up is an exceptionally pleasant experience.

We gave Ceru a few minutes to compose herself before asking her any questions. Her eyes glazed over for a minute before she frowned. “I don’t understand. I was supposed to be a warrior.”

“What are you?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. Pi showed me before she answered.

Cerulean Levesc

Level

5

Class

Ogre Shaman Princess

Affection Level

Confused

She cried. “I’m useless.”

“Isn’t that a class?” I asked with a grin spreading across my face.

She has evolved to a higher form. It is the beastman equivalent of a class change. She will obtain skills unique to her new race. The Shaman class has a variety of restorative abilities.

Ceru sniffled, wiping a tear from her eyes when I approached. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “A healer is just what we’re missing.”

She sobbed. “Are you sure? I mean really sure? Ogres are supposed to be strong. Shamans aren’t. They usually sit at home around campfires and heal the sick.”

“You’ll make us strong,” I replied. “We will protect you and you can make sure none of us die. Right, Jericho?”

The Bard stared at me. “Are you talking to me?”

“Yeah,” I replied, slightly confused. “I was just telling Ceru that it’s great that she’s a healer.”

He laughed. “You were speaking to her in Ogre just now. Are you not aware when you’re doing it?”

I shook my head. “No, it all sounds like English to me.”

Jericho nodded politely at Ceru. “Healers are the hardest thing to come by for most groups. They are always highly sought after and there are never enough to go around. Having a good healer can be the difference between life and death.”

“Did you learn any skills?” I asked.

Ceru’s eyes glazed over again. “Yes.”