by A F Kay
He had seen the words but hadn’t realized they were linked together in this fashion.
“This is all new to me,” Ruwen said.
“That doesn’t surprise me. The gods have made Cultivation outdated. What would take hundreds of years for a Cultivator to learn can now be gifted to an Ascendant in minutes.”
Ruwen thought about Sift and how his philosophy made Ascendancy an abhorrent idea. Cultivation, if it was your only choice, made it a good one. Thinking about Sift reminded him that Sift had mentioned Meridians and that his parents were trying to fix his.
“What happens if your Meridians don’t work?”
Tremine shrugged. “This isn’t my area of expertise. There were other concepts I came across in my reading. Things like Centers and Affinities. But I don’t know what any of that means.”
Ruwen nodded. “Any ideas on how to open it?”
Tremine let out a long sigh. “Since the book is about Cultivating, the reader probably needs to use that type of energy somehow. Maybe one of the Addas can open it for you.”
Ruwen looked at the description of the book again.
Book Title: A Worker’s Guide to Harvesting
Topic:
Author:
Book Id: 000003
Quality: Legendary
Durability: 10 of 10
Weight: 3.7 lbs.
Loan Count: 1
Restriction: Black Pyramid mark required.
Restriction: Class, Deity’s most common.
Restriction: Harvesting Stage 10 (Minimum).
Description: Medium brown book with clasped hands. Warm to the touch.
The requirements of the book meant that the Addas couldn’t help. In fact, by referencing a Class, it meant the reader was expected to have Ascended. Ruwen put the book back in his Inventory.
“Thanks, I’ll ask them,” Ruwen lied.
“Sorry I couldn’t help more. How are you holding up under all this stress?”
Ruwen shrugged. “Good, I guess. I’ve learned and experienced so much since Ascending. It’s hard to process it all. To be honest, I’ve just been trying to survive.”
“Well, that’s the most important thing. You’re important to Uru.”
The mention of Uru triggered a memory in Ruwen about the quest she had given him. He brought it up and looked at the description.
The Search for Truth (Part 2)
Travel to the Grey Canyon and look for that which has been lost.
“She gave me a quest for the Grey Canyon, the same place my parents disappeared. I think she’s helping me find them,” Ruwen said.
Tremine narrowed his eyes for a second. “I know how badly you want to find them, Ruwen, but it is pointless and dangerous to try and figure out the motives of the gods.” Tremine rubbed his forehead. “Regardless of how crazy or insane their requests, it is best to just do them. I gave up trying to understand them centuries ago.”
Some of Ruwen’s excitement disappeared, and Tremine must have noticed.
Tremine put a hand on Ruwen’s shoulder. “Your parents were two of the most capable people I’ve ever met. Wherever they are, they will be fine until you find them.”
“But what if they’re not fine? What if they’re suffering somewhere cursing their useless son for not finding them?”
“That is highly unlikely, but even if it was true, you are unprepared to help them. I’ll make a deal with you. Once we have you someplace safe, I’ll look for your parents.”
“Really?”
“You have my word.”
Ruwen hugged Tremine. “Thank you. I feel better knowing someone is looking.”
Tremine held Ruwen tight and patted him on the back. “You need to let me look through your library sometime. You know how obsessed I am with old books.”
Ruwen laughed as he let go. “I know. If you come back, try and get a few off the ground before you get distracted.”
“No promises,” Tremine said.
Ruwen felt lucky to have a friend and mentor that was also so powerful and knowledgeable. Knowing Tremine would look for his parents soon removed what felt like a thousand pounds from his shoulders. He hadn’t felt this good and positive in a year. Things were finally looking up.
“Back to my scary campsite,” Tremine said.
“Are you close to the main camp?”
Tremine shook his head. “Not really. Ky set up some monitors around your area as well as a temporary bind point for me. I’ll be able to detect that Naktos Mage if he casts anything. As long as he keeps casting, I can narrow down the location and blink to it within a minute. So if you encounter him, just run.”
“I will. Why not just stay in camp?”
“The Mage knows me, and I don’t want to risk being seen. Surprise is our ally.”
“I doubt they’ll find us. It feels like we’re in the middle of nowhere.”
“Exactly. They would need help. Just relax and focus on your training. I’ll see you soon.”
Ruwen waved goodbye as Tremine left the library. Things were definitely looking up. With a smile, Ruwen bent down and picked up another pile of books.
Ruwen placed books on the shelves for another two hours until the lights went out, just like they had the last time he’d been here. His clock read 2:17 AM. Ruwen activated Detect Temperature but didn’t see any glowing books.
“Limuno,” Ruwen said.
The lights didn’t come back on.
“Limuno!” Ruwen said, louder this time.
Still no lights. This had happened last time Ruwen had been here. He hated the dark. The previous time the lights had come back on after a few minutes. But he really didn’t want to wait that long in the dark. Plus, he had grown tired of picking up books and wanted to do some reading.
Ruwen touched his right wrist to the closest bookshelf. “My room.”
He couldn’t see the portal, but when he reached out, the bookshelf wasn’t there. Or, more precisely, it was behind the portal that must have opened up. Ruwen stepped forward and into the hallway outside his room.
Chapter 14
Ruwen glanced at his clock: 6:15 AM. He sat cross-legged on his bed and shot a bandball into the air. It stopped about three feet in the air and then fell back into his open Void Band. He had been doing this for an hour as he waited for Sift to wake up. The practice had been worth it as he now had much better control over how high the balls went and the angles that would allow the arcing balls to fall into his Void Band. It had been over twenty minutes since he’d accidentally shot one across the room.
Not only that, Ruwen had finally found some time to read the books Tremine had given him on his Ascendancy day. The first two hours back in his room had been spent reading the Collector Novice Manual (part 1). He had intended to spend half an hour on each of the books Tremine had given him, but the Collector book snatched two hours before Ruwen even looked at his clock again.
It had been a fascinating two hours, though. The detailed information on each item in the book, along with the colored drawings, consumed Ruwen. He had learned, among other things, the proper way to pick silverthorne, the uses of burrowing ivy, and the appropriate way to extract emeralds from sedimentary rock.
He had gained some new skills as well.
Shing!
You have learned a new skill!
Skill: Herbalism
Level: 1
Effect: Increase harvest speed by 2.00%. Increase harvest yield by 1.00%.
Shing!
You have advanced a skill!
Skill: Herbalism
Level: 2
Effect: Increase harvest speed by 4.00%. Increase harvest yield by 2.00%.
Shing!
You have advanced a skill!
Skill: Herbalism
Level: 3
Effect: Increase harvest speed by 6.00%. Increase harvest yield by 3.00%.
Shing!
You have learned a new skill!
Skill: Mining
>
Level: 1
Effect: Increase extraction speed by 2.00%. Increase extraction yield by 1.00%. Decrease gem and mineral damage by 1.00%.
Shing!
You have advanced a skill!
Skill: Mining
Level: 2
Effect: Increase extraction speed by 4.00%. Increase extraction yield by 2.00%. Decrease gem and mineral damage by 2.00%.
Shing!
You have learned a new skill!
Skill: Prospecting
Level: 1
Effect: Increase chance of discovering plants, gems, ores, minerals, and other collectibles by 1%.
Shing!
You have learned a new skill!
Skill: Taxonomy
Level: 1
Effect: Increase identification of plants, gems, ores, minerals, and other collectibles by 1%.
Shing!
You have advanced a skill!
Skill: Taxonomy
Level: 2
Effect: Increase identification of plants, gems, ores, minerals, and other collectibles by 2%.
Ruwen had then spent an hour reading the small black book Tremine had given Ruwen on the god Naktos. There were a few parts where his Hey You ability deciphered the words, but the concepts described made no sense.
Even with these gaps, the context seemed clear. Naktos’s territory bordered Uru’s lands yet remained virtually unknown because he and his followers lived deep underground. They had gills that allowed them to filter out the noxious and poison gases found deep in the planet. The more Ruwen read, the more confused he became. Naktos seemed to be a god focused on knowledge, and the religion of his people centered around duty and learning. Why would he attack Ruwen? It sounded like they had a lot in common and should be allies, not enemies.
Ruwen had put the book away and practiced with his bandball. Repeatedly shooting the ball into the air proved to be very relaxing, and Ruwen let his brain rest. He tried not to worry that his need for sleep had disappeared. As he thought about it, another realization occurred to him. He’d been eating and drinking when others did, but he hadn’t felt hungry or thirsty since the Cultivation event either. There was just too much he didn’t know about Spirit. He would need to figure out a way to open that locked book or get his hands on a Cultivation book when he returned to Deepwell. He just didn’t know what was normal, and if he should be worried.
Blapy had advised Ruwen to hide the complete truth of what had happened to him during the Cultivation event. She must have worried what Sift’s parents would do if they knew the whole truth. That’s why he couldn’t risk asking them about not sleeping or about the Harvesting book.
Sift groaned and rolled over. His eyes slowly opened.
“You’re up already?” Sift asked.
Ruwen stopped his practice with the bandball and closed his Void Band. “Yeah.”
Sift groaned again and rolled off his bed and onto the floor. He stayed on the ground for almost a minute, and Ruwen wondered if he had gone back to sleep.
Sift groaned a third time and pushed himself up. “I’m headed to the bathroom. Start meditating.”
Ruwen went to the center of the room and sat cross-legged. He closed his eyes, sat up straight, and took deep and even breaths. Immediately the massive ball of Spirit he’d collected surrounded him. With Sift still in the bathroom, Ruwen experimented by trying to move it with his mental hands. But the Spirit barely moved. It felt like trying to move fog.
“You’re slouching,” Sift said as he entered the room.
Ruwen sat up straight again.
They meditated for ten minutes and then spent three hours practicing Steps: an hour throwing an attacker, thirty minutes of falling practice, thirty minutes of the punching wheel, and an hour with the staff. Sift showed Ruwen a new block and how to quickly recover if someone blocked Ruwen’s swing.
Ruwen gained another level in Unarmed Combat, bringing it up to level four, and another level in staff, bringing it up to level six. Ruwen actually felt a little comfortable with the things he’d been taught.
“Can you swim?” Sift asked.
“I’m okay.”
“Do you still have the goggles I gave you?”
“They kind of shattered. That little Clapping Brawler kept shooting darts at my eyes.”
“That’s okay, I carry extras,” Sift said as he removed a pair of goggles from his Dimensional Belt. Sift narrowed his eyes. “How do you feel about horses?”
Ruwen frowned. “I haven’t seen that many. They’re beautiful animals, but appahs are much more practical.”
“On a scale of one to ten, how do you feel about octopi?”
“You’re asking a lot of weird questions. Does this have a point?”
“Just trying to gauge how bad the rest of the morning will be. Put your staff and cloak in your Inventory,” Sift said, and then stripped down to just his underwear and belt. “Maybe your outer clothes as well. I would leave the Clapper Skin armor on, though.” Sift twisted his lip. “Maybe keep your baton and dagger out, too. Just in case.”
Ruwen tilted his head and stared at Sift. “Just in case?”
“Trust me,” Sift said. “Are you hungry? If you can wait, that would be best. Their poison is weak, but it can upset your stomach.”
“Will you just tell me what we’re doing?”
“Okay, okay, I just don’t want you to worry. You overthink sometimes.”
“Worry about what?”
“The Octorse.”
“Is that one thing or a bunch of them?”
“Both.”
“Seriously, you could not be worse at naming things.”
Sift pointed at Ruwen. “No, it’s a good name. It’s like if a horse and octopus had a baby. And the baby grew an electrified trident from its forehead and learned to poop clouds of black poison that make you vomit. But all in a cute way.”
“In a cute way?”
Sift nodded.
Ruwen imagined an octopus the size of a horse with a three-foot electrified trident protruding from its head.
“How in Uru’s name are we going to fight something like that underwater?” Ruwen asked.
Sift smiled. “That is the fun part. We don’t have to fight them, exactly. They are guarding a gem. To complete the level, all we need to do is bring the gem to shore. Easy.”
“Easy? How are we even going to breathe underwater?”
Sift removed his Scarf of Freshness from his belt. “The water will press it to your face, and the scarf will only let the air through.”
Ruwen stared at Sift.
“And I have a plan,” Sift said.
Ruwen groaned.
Ruwen stepped out of the tunnel and into level four. The air in the cavern felt heavy with moisture, and it smelled like seaweed. Colorful stalactites hung from the ceiling like glass icicles, and a bright pillar stood in the middle of a lake like a cylindrical sun. The lake stretched at least a thousand feet to another beach, and the water appeared almost transparent. The pillar’s light reflected off the stalactites and covered the cavern in rainbows. A notification pulsed, and he opened it.
Ting!
You have received the quest…
Have You Herd?
A gem from the mosaic “Shocked and Stunned” has fallen into Prism Lake. Retrieve the gem and bring it to the beach in the time allotted. Complete the mosaic to receive your rewards.
Reward: 1,000 experience
Reward: Dormant Larva (small herd)
Restriction: Locate and transport missing gem to the far beach of Prism Lake in less than 10 minutes.
Accept or Decline
Ruwen chose Accept. He had caught on to Blapy’s warped sense of humor. The misspelled “heard” probably referenced the Octorse Sift had described, and they probably traveled in herds.
“That is a big lake,” Ruwen said. “Is there like a sea serpent or something hiding in there?”
“No, the Octorse are pretty violent. They tend to swarm and –” Sift stopp
ed talking when he saw the look on Ruwen’s face.
Sift held up his hands. “Don’t worry. You probably won’t even see one. My plan, remember?”
Ruwen rubbed his forehead. “Right. You distract them, and I sneak around, snatch the gem, and get it to shore.”
“Easy.”
Ruwen activated Magnify and studied the water. Something the size of a horse should be easy to see, but he couldn’t find any sign of one. He turned the ability off and looked at Sift.
“Anything I should know before we start?” Ruwen asked.
Sift snapped his fingers. “Do not pee in the lake. That drives them nuts.”
“Why would I do that? Nobody does that.”
Sift grimaced.
“Great, just what I wanted to do, swim around in your pee water.”
“They do it,” Sift said defensively.
“That only makes it worse!”
Ruwen shook his head and tied the Scarf of Freshness tightly across his nose and mouth. A thought occurred to him, and he pulled the scarf down.
“Is your big distraction…peeing in the lake?” Ruwen asked.
Sift’s eyes widened, and he pulled his Scarf of Freshness over his mouth and nose. He answered, but the words were garbled.
Ruwen shook his head and pulled the scarf back over his mouth and nose. “You’re unbelievable,” Ruwen said, the scarf not affecting his speech at all. “And a faker.”
Sift eyes shone with amusement.
“Remember to count to thirty once I’ve entered the lake. Then sneak around,” Sift said, his speech clear.
Ruwen pulled the goggles over his head and pressed them over his eyes. Sift did the same.
“Shade’s first rule: a drowning man has no friends,” Sift said.
“Oh no, let’s not start those again. And is that some sort of statement on suicide?”