Just to clear something up since I probably made my text a little TOO glitched last chapter, Chazon did not unlock the Cursed Series. Rather, he unlocked a spin on the system that was an idea that I had a long time ago: The Corruption Series. It'll be explained in greater detail later, but for now, know that it's equal parts better and worse than the Curse Series.

Naofumi's morning, while it started out bright thanks to Raphtalia and his sense of taste coming back, had been getting worse as it went on. He had attended the "reward" ceremony where Trash had given all of the heroes a money reward for their services, except for Naofumi under the pretense of it being the cost of the holy water used on Raphtalia. It frustrated him, but it was far from the main reason why his mood was turned down.

Chazon had failed to show up for his reward, which made the shield hero extremely worried. Ren offered to give the Spear Hero his portion of the reward when he found him before both him and Itsuki called out the king for not properly rewarding Naofumi. After it was over, Ren turned around and gave Chazon's share to Naofumi. "You're better acquainted with him than us. It's only fitting that he gets the reward from you… especially after what happened last night."

Naofumi made sure not to put it into his personal funds, but put the bag into his inventory and marked it as important. His opinions of the other two heroes are improving thanks to their help last night and the fact that they seemed to be just as worried about Chazon as he was. Itsuki especially seemed depressed when he told Naofumi where Chazon's inn was. "When I saw him last night… something was horribly wrong… yet I couldn't do anything." He looks up at the two with a worried look. "He thinks that he doesn't deserve to be friends with you anymore…"

That made the shield hero and Raphtalia exceedingly worried. "If he's considering that whole ordeal his fault… we need to have a talk with him. Even before I get my new slave crest!"

When they reached the inn, they inquired to the innkeeper if the Spear Hero was her tenant last night. She let out a somber sigh at that. "He was with his companion last night… the poor dears. When he first came around, he discovered she wasn't here even though he had apparently sent her ahead and ripped out of here like a specter was after him. When he came back, she was wrapped in blankets, unable to move, and he had a rather devastated look."

She brings out a piece of paper. "They left this morning after she had managed to recover and get her adventurer's gear on. When I went to their room, I found this. It has writing on it that I can't read."

Naofumi took it and, reading it through the fold without actually reading it, knew what it was. "This is a language from my world. That's why it's unfamiliar to you." He puts the paper into his inventory for now. "Thank you. Do you know where he went?"

The innkeeper shook her head. "Sadly no. The best I can suggest is heading to Erhard's blacksmith. Their equipment bears his mark, so they might have gone to him."

Erhard, unfortunately, never saw the Spear Hero either. "Did something happen between the two of you again?"

Raphtalia looked somber. "I guess… you could say that. We're trying to find him to make sure he knows that everything that happened last night wasn't his fault."

"Everything? I know there were two rumors going around this morning about him. One was that he was poisoned by the Shield "Demon" for a duel, though I'm guessing you guys know the actual story."

"Yeah…" Naofumi told Erhard about the banquet and the duel that happened afterwards, including when the king accused him of cheating and poisoning Chazon. "By the time I woke up, everyone was already gone, including him."

Raphtalia nodded. "I didn't see when he left… but it must have been some time after you calmed down…" Her ears drooped a bit, feeling guilty over not at least giving Chazon some comforting words.

Erhard sighed. "That definitely would kill the spear kid's self-confidence, but I doubt he would go as far as the second rumor about him says. Apparently he was seen exiting a brothel in the dead of night holding someone. People are wondering if he was so craven that he would purchase a sex slave."

Neither Naofumi nor Raphtalia could refute the last thing the blacksmith said; they were horrified when they connected the dots given to them. "Rino… was in a brothel?!"

"Kid, you know something about it?"

Raphtalia nodded. "The innkeeper where Chazon-sama went told us he came in with a paralyzed Rino-chan last night. You don't think…"

Naofumi took the paper out of his inventory. "Perhaps he wrote something on here about that. This letter is in english, a language I learned in my world, so only I can read it." He began reading the letter out loud:

The clock stopped ticking

Forever ago

How long have I been up?

I don't know

I can't get a grip

But I can't let go

There wasn't anything to hold onto though

Why can't I see

Why can't I see

All the colors that you see?

Please can I be

Please can I be

Colorful and free?

Naofumi noticed that the second "Why can't I see" onward was written in a dark red ink, as well as various small water-marks around the paper. Erhard winced at the sight. "That's dried blood on that paper…"

Raphtalia whimpered. "And those water-marks… are they… tears?"

Naofumi's mind went on overdrive and quickly came up with a reason why Chazon wrote what he did, as well as why he used blood. "Were the events of last night so harsh to him… that he lost his perception of color? Just like how I lost my sense of taste after the rape accusation that ruined my life…"

Erhard closed his eyes. "That Spear Kid… he had grown deaf to the cries of his own heart long before coming here. He told me about his past some time ago… he's always been harsh on himself."

That made Raphtalia's eyes go wide before she clasped her hands together. "All we can hope for is for Rino-chan to hear the cries of his heart for him. That she can serve as Chazon-sama's light of hope in the darkness, just like how I was able to bring comfort to you, Naofumi-sama. Until then, if we can find them, we'll do all we can to reassure him."

Chazon and Rino had left for Lerno Village on foot after they had prepared for the day. Rino, despite her rampant optimism, was a little more conscious of people because of how close she was to being raped last night, though she was willing to fight it. Chazon did his best to offer comfort, but his heart remained cold from the events of last night; despair had taken hold and was not letting go.

Rino knew something was off about Chazon, yet he always did his best to reassure her that he was fine and that he wasn't trying to think too hard on what had happened. But for every time he pushes her away, his heart grows ever colder; his self-worth ever breaking like ice under too much pressure. He had almost not invited her back to his party until she inquired about it, feeling like she could have been with someone more qualified to protect her.

It didn't help his case that the plains of Melomarc were always pretty featureless; now Chazon had to deal with the fact that all he could see was grey. He could have looked at a valuable crystal and passed it off as a stone due to his lack of color perception, which did nothing to help his mental state.

He did find ways to ensure that he didn't always dwell on the past. During one night while he was on watch, he had finally gone into his help guide regarding Spirit Enchantment, which had somehow unlocked after the wave. From what could be summed up, items or pieces of monster souls, which are also items that can be dropped by monsters now, can be used to imbue a weapon form with special powers. The example that his help guide gave him was a Forest Dire Wolf damage bonus (5%) or Water-aspect resist (10%). Using his Bee Soul items, he enchanted his Ultralight Metal Lance for an Insectoid Monster damage bonus (2%)

Spirit Enchantment doesn't seem to directly adhere to the equip bonus system of very low to extreme. Probably to be more precise with what these souls can give you.

Another comfort he allowed was his own cooking: thanks to various spears he had unlocked in the past, he had a very good cooking bonus and could turn the appropriate things into tasty meals. He wasn't completely gung-ho about cooking in the past and allowed other people to cook for him on the longer trips, hence why he hadn't discovered how good he actually was before now.

Rino noted that Chazon seemed at his most normal whenever he was eating, yet she could still feel something dividing them. It was almost like the time they first met in the Alchemist's Cave. No… this is worse than that time. But… he always tries to reassure me; to tell me that everything's fine. I just wish there was more that I can do for him.

What was especially prominent was that Chazon had begun suffering nightmares involving that night. No matter how much he tried to forget it, how much he wanted to let go of his despair, it would always come back to haunt him. Just like the time when he found out his first friend committed suicide because of him.

Failure haunts me like a vengeful spirit that refuses to move on… I can never escape it, no matter how hard I try. And with every reminder, I always feel like I'm cold… and that nothing could ever warm me up.

Thanks to the monsters encountered on the way to Lerno, the duo managed to level up before reaching Lerno Village. Chazon decided against testing Fire Spear that was unlocked at level 25 until they were somewhere that wouldn't start a wild grass fire.

When they arrived after a week, both of them were shocked at what they saw. The seeds that had grown into bushes had grown even bigger into tall trees bearing countless fruits. Chazon gave the trees a flat look. "I'm beginning to wonder if I should modify those seeds to have less growth speed… This is getting absurd."

"At least nobody will starve, though I'm willing to bet that everyone is getting sick of fruit." Rino admitted sheepishly; one could only eat something for so long before it wears on you.

Turns out that she was wrong. Upon entering the village proper, they found out that nobody has gotten sick of the fruit yet. Turns out that being pushed into a famine has a way of making people always appreciate whatever food comes to them, even if it's the exact same thing to eat for a long time.

Chazon shook his head and turned to Rino. "Did you want to see your father? While it has only been a few weeks, the waves have a way of ensuring much has happened."

Rino's face lit up at that suggestion. "I have so much to tell papa! Let's go now!"

So much to tell him… including the fact that I failed you and almost lost you due to my own incompetence? Chazon thought somberly; he had once again considered letting Rino go so that she wouldn't have to be stuck to a useless hero.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw Damalus himself. Rino made sure her presence was known. "Papa! I'm home!"

He turned with a surprised look, but it quickly turned to pure joy. "My baby girl! How I've missed you!"

Rino stopped short with a heavy blush and a pouting face. "Papa! I keep telling you not to call me that in front of others!"

That got a hearty chuckle out of the apothecary as he stroked his mustache. "I only do so because I get such wonderful reactions out of you, my dear."

"Geeze!" Rino turned her head to the side with a huff, but couldn't resist hugging her father anyways. "I missed you too."

Chazon smiled at the scene, if only to do his best at feeling happy for the two. At least you still have family…

"And how could I forget Chazon-sama? You look well!" Damalus had stopped hugging his daughter and was looking at the spear hero with much regard.

"I am, thank you." He lied through his teeth, which made Rino give him a worried look. "Anyways, I'm sure you two have plenty to catch up on, so I'll just-"

"Nonsense! I'm sure you can join us for a cup of tea as you tell me what happened!" Damalus grabbed Chazon by the shoulder and led him into their house, much to the amusement of everyone watching.

What followed was Rino telling Damalus of everything that happened after the duo left Lerno. Between the armor upgrades, learning how to learn magic, finding rare metals where they shouldn't be, and the friendship between heroes and their companions. Rino even told him about the wave proper; how everyone worked so well together, the Heavensward Mauler, and even Chazon's speech to the villagers after the wave much to his chagrin.

Damalus regarded the spear hero with much jolly. "You're shaping up to being more of a hero every day, starting at our little abode!"

I'm not a hero, though… what kind of hero sends their companions off alone into the dead of night without regard for their safety? Damalus felt a slight chill in the room, which greatly confused him.

Rino continued by mentioning the banquet, though she didn't know what happened after she left the castle. She stopped and turned to Chazon, very clearly not wanting to tell him what happened to her afterwards. Chazon felt that he would, at least, inform the two what happened. Namely the duel, how he got roped into it, and the final result.

Upon hearing that, Damalus leaned forward into his hands with a frustrated look. "Aultcray… you old fool. Holding tight to your past hatreds… you're effectively dooming your country- nay your world."

Chazon raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing this has to do with him wanting to absolutely shit on the Shield Hero… for lack of better terms." The despair in his heart had become laced with a bit of hate.

"I know not exactly what happened but you aren't far off the mark. Do you know of a country called Siltvelt?" Chazon shook his head. "It's a country of demi-humans that regard the Shield Hero as their savior and the other heroes as devils. In essence, the opposite of Melromarc's religion in every way. We were at war with them in the past… though we're currently in a VERY brittle state of peace right now.

"Aultcray had joined the war as a hero in his own right, but if he had it his way, he would have kept going until the demi-humans went extinct. I don't know much since I was merely an apothecary supplying the front lines with medicine, but his hatred had extended to all demi-humans, not just the ones who wronged him, and the Shield Hero is the culmination of that hate."

Chazon remembered how he had skewered and almost killed the noble who had tried to rape Rino out of pure hate. If it weren't for Rino showing more concern for him than for herself, he would have gone through with it. I suppose I can understand being blinded by hate since I was there, but condemning an entire race for what a select few did is unreasonable, even by my standards…

Damalus shook his head. "Full glad I am to hear that the Shield Hero has a friend in one of the other three Cardinal Heroes. Even though he has a true companion, it always helps to have more friends."

Even though I'm pretty sure my friendship with them has all but officially ended…

"Anyways, I'm rambling at this point. Was there anything else that happened before your return trip?"

Chazon shot Rino a worried look as she hesitated. She didn't want to tell her dad that she was nearly raped and sold as a sex slave; he might not ever let her go again, despite her being much stronger. I'm sorry papa, but I'll tell you when I'm ready… and when Chazon-kun is ready as well… She shook her head. "No, that's pretty much it."

Chazon figured she had a reason why she wasn't telling her father about his failure, but decided not to press. "I must apologize, but there's something I need to talk to Glenn about. I must take my leave, but thank you for the tea." He bows respectfully and leaves.

Damalus frowned at the hero's retreating back. After Chazon was gone, he looked at his daughter. "Chazon-sama… feels closed off right now…"

"You felt it too, papa? I wish I knew what was going on, but he always just tells me he's alright and tries to comfort me." Rino had realized that he had told her the other piece of the puzzle of why he was acting unusually; the duel had been exceedingly harsh on him, with her rescue only making things worse. She actually felt responsible for it, but didn't know how to approach him about it.

"I guess he's just not ready to talk about it. Give him some time, Rino, because I know from experience that sometimes forcing things will only make it worse." Damalus gives Rino a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "For now, why don't you take some time to unwind before Chazon-sama comes back."

Chazon headed towards the town center in hopes of discussing a prospect that he figured out before he came back with the solution to the famine. Sure enough, the town elder was talking with the village guards about the defense of the BioFruit trees. "Ah, Chazon-sama! I received word from Lute Village's elder about what you have done during and after the wave. You are becoming more of a hero by the day!"

Why… I'm a failure of a hero… yet everyone deems it necessary to praise me as one… Chazon shook his head. "Do you have time, Glenn-sama- er… sorry, not used to honorifics yet…"

"It's quite alright, though I'm honored that you called me sama as your first instinct. And yes, I do have time."

Chazon paused to remember why he had talked to Glenn. "Do you recall how I mentioned that the seeds I gave you were monster seeds before I modified them?" Glenn nodded at that. "I was thinking of constructing a sort of arena to fight against BioPlant monsters as a way to level up without harming the surrounding ecosystems. Plus, I might be able to modify the seeds to produce different variants of BioFruits."

Glenn nodded at that. "Both sound like a good idea, though we'll need to thoroughly test the arena before we can properly use it. Thankfully, outside of new homes for people moving in, we don't have any new construction projects ongoing right now, so we can get started on that."

Chazon nodded at that. "Then I'll help provide protection as well as my own material contributions to the project since it's my idea. I might re-modify some of the seeds back into BioPlant monster seeds immediately for more wood so we don't clear-cut forests. I'll go collect some now for experimentation." With that, he runs off to the fields for seeds from the fruits.

Glenn paused before letting out a sad sigh. "Chazon-sama… when did the light fade from your eyes? Where has your hope for the future gone?"

After Chazon had grabbed a few seeds from the fields of Lerno, he went back to Rino's house to grab her for his experiment dealing with BioPlant "farming" as he called it. She still remembered her last awkward attempt at fighting a BioPlant and hesitated, but went with it for fear of driving Chazon further away from her. As soon as they were a safe distance out of town, Chazon switched to his BioPlant Halberd and modified the values back to how he had found the first batch.

It didn't help that all he could see was grey. The green BioPlant seeds were grey, the BioFruit was grey, even the water and trees were a dull grey. As if his own senses wanted to keep reminding him of how much he failed everyone that night.

Repressing a sigh, he planted the first seed he modified and it sprouted like the progenitor seed did: full of sickly-looking fruits containing more seeds and a giant bud on the front containing its eye. Just like the first one, it attempted to look like a normal tree until provoked, though thanks to how moist the ground had become around the area thanks to the freed river, he could use Fire Spear to provoke it without fearing a grass fire.

Fire Spear had turned out to be a somewhat ranged attack, though unlike Air Strike Javelin it was shorter ranged, just fired straight at his target, and created a small, fiery explosion. The BioPlant screeched in pain, revealing that it was level 15 as well, before it quickly burned up and died. "Guess as long as you're not in a dry area, killing BioPlants with fire is a very viable tactic." Chazon noted as he got an exp notification.

Rino sighed at that. "The downside is that it burns up everything and leaves nothing usable to be gathered. The seeds just get roasted and die with the main plant and we have little use for burnt wood."

"True…" Though the heat from it felt nice. If nothing else, BioPlant wood could serve as good firewood to be gathered and traded once the arena is up and running.

There was a moment of silence as Chazon re-modified another seed, until Rino thought of something. "You know… how is setting up the arena going to work? Will it be something adventurers have to pay to access?"

Chazon nodded, eyes glued to the seed he was modifying. "The idea is that we have a range of different leveled seeds that adventurers can choose from. Right now I don't know if I can produce living BioPlants that are below level 15, but I'm seeing if I can't raise the level of the monster this particular seed produces. The fee will be modest; enough to cover any potential damage the fights might cause, and there will be some fail-safes in place to ensure that nobody will die trying to level up."

Rino hummed at that. She remembered the reason why the adventurer's guild restricted her from killing too many monsters back during her first time in Castle Town; because if adventurers could kill without restraint, the ecosystems of the world would eventually deplete and nature would be ruined. That is also why the Cardinal Heroes are needed; kingdoms couldn't just power level armies and be ready for the waves.

"There, now to see if the level is any different." Chazon plants the seed he had modified and it grew. While the trunk looked a bit sterner, it looked largely the same as the last one. Chazon poked it with his Chimera Lion Halberd and it screeched at him, revealing that it was level 20 this time. "I had to sacrifice its reproduction rate for levels, so we'll be getting less seeds from this one… provided we don't just burn it again."

After some time spent on the level 20 BioPlant and any flunkies it spawned, which also yielded some exp, Chazon chose to simply use the same tactic that ended the first BioPlant; the Air Strike Javelin-Spear Drive combo. Chazon and Rino both reached level 26 thanks to that fight. "Sadly, BioPlants are difficult to kill without proper set-up. It's easy for you, Chazon-kun, but for normal adventurers it'll be an uphill battle."

"That's what we'll need to iron out once the arena is built." After the seeds were gathered, Chazon swapped to his Woodcutter's Halberd and turned the BioPlant's remains into lumber and stored it. After planting another level 20 seed, Chazon was struck by a thought. "Rino, what comes to mind when you see a BioPlant?"

That greatly confused her. "Well… without forewarning, it just looks like a tree with a giant bud on it."

"Then what happens when I use this?" Chazon got close to the BioPlant and it screeched at him. Before it could do anything, he swung his Woodcutter's Halberd at it… and instantly killed it by turning its body into one massive log, exp gain and all. "Well that was simple." He stated flatly.

Rino let out a nervous laugh. "Guess we'll be doing this to level up, huh?"

"Maybe, but it seems to use up about 25% of my SP when I cut down a live Bioplant as opposed to 5% on a dead one or a regular tree. As such, I can only do this four times in one sitting before I have to stop, three times if I want to turn the resulting logs into lumber." Chazon sighed at that revelation. Of course it was too good to be true… though thankfully modifying the seeds and planting them seems to be raising some sort of hidden farming level. I keep getting more freedom in how I customize these seeds.

After cutting down one more level 20 BioPlant and gathering the seeds and lumber, the duo headed back into the village. Chazon wanted to get the BioPlant lumber appraised by a carpenter and see if it was usable as building material. To his relief, it was very sturdy wood according to the local carpenter; sturdy enough to make the aforementioned arena and not have to worry about monsters toppling it somehow. Chazon made sure to buy and absorb a farmer's hoe for the Farming Hoe Halberd and give himself a boost to his farming skill/level.

Storing the monster seeds for now, Chazon decided to try the other idea he had shared with Glenn while he was resting in Rino's house. He was able to change an entire batch of 10 seeds into a new variant: while they grew slower than the first batch, he made sure to put emphasis on taste as a result. He noted the ability to change the fruit color, but due to his inability to see anything but grey, he opted to choose a random color other than the initial one.

Outside of planting the newly modified seeds in a different part of the fields, he avoided going out for the rest of the day unless there were monster troubles. The residents of Lerno always seemed to look at him with high regard, but all it did was make him feel inadequate. They don't know… how truly useless I am…

The next day, Damalus decided to see if he couldn't get Chazon out of the house a bit more. "How about you and Rino go to the Alchemist's Cave and explore it again? While it's more safe than ever before, perhaps a walk down memory lane will do you some good. Plus… you're depressing me with how much you're staying inside, lad."

"I… suppose I could. Maybe give some information to the people in charge of cataloging the place." But it won't have the effect you're hoping for, Damalus… it'll just remind me of how I treated Rino at first…

Rino had seemingly recovered completely from her experience in the brothel, though she kept a worried eye on her hero, heart aching all the while. The two took less than a day of running to the Alchemist's Cave thanks to their movement speed bonuses and found that the adventurer's guild had plenty of archeologists attempting to find out more about the formerly dangerous dungeon.

Talking to one such person, he confirms that, thanks to foreknowledge on the Voice Gengars, they were able to keep the dungeon clear of monsters. "It seems whoever built this place had intentionally built it on top of a Voice Gengar nesting cave to take advantage of their abilities."

"And then built a Golem guardian at the end that requires teamwork at the end in order to get what the designer perceived as a cursed creation." Chazon added thoughtfully. "Apologies for not leaving anything left of the Golem for you to study, but I wanted the materials for armor upgrades."

"It's fine, sir spear hero. We're learning plenty already, so losing one small fragment isn't too concerning. However, if you two plan on going any further than the room that once contained the miracle seed, especially devious Voice Gengars have nested down there; higher leveled than the ones we've dealt with. While the shield hero was here a while ago and cleared the way, they seemed to have already repopulated."

After he left, Rino looked a bit worried. "Naofumi-sama was here? I guess he didn't know that we were in Lerno Village nearby."

I doubt he wants to see me anyways… Shaking his head, Chazon looked at Rino. "Did you want to see the magic crystal cave again?"

"I'd love to. The atmosphere is soothing to me."

Upon getting down there, Chazon's Voice Gengar Spear once again proving useful in stunning the monsters, Rino was entranced again by the sight she beheld. Chazon pretended to be as well, while despairing over the fact that he can no longer enjoy vistas like the cave.

While walking around, he noted that the bigger clusters looked like mining nodes to him and equipped his Pickaxe Spear. He mined a few higher quality magic crystals thanks to his mining skill, but he hits something truly spectacular. "I guess my gathering skills are still top notch at least. What is this?" Rino joined him as his status magic appraised the new crystal in front of him.

Aetherytical Magic Crystal

Could this be…? No, that's impossible. There's no way something like that could exist in this world.

Rino looked at the crystal in amazement once she learned the name. "I think I remember hearing about that crystal from my mother when I was younger! She said that an adventuring friend of hers explained that aetherytical crystals had potent energies for teleporting magic. However, the only known ones found were used in the creation of the Dragon Hourglasses to give them the ability to teleport the Cardinal Heroes to the location of a wave."

Just… how does this world do it? How does it keep introducing things that shouldn't exist and only exist as a concept?

Chazon inhaled a bit. "Rino, I'm going to see if I can't find at least one more of these in here. I think I have another project in mind if what you said is true."

Of course, the very next node he mined contained another aetherytical magic crystal, though he made sure to deplete it of normal crystals before leaving the caves. They camped out under the stars for a night before heading back to Lerno.

When they got back, Chazon noted that the new BioFruit bushes had produced fruit already, though the residents had confirmed that the regrowth rate was more akin to one bunch per day rather than one full bunch per hour. They had also confirmed that the yellow fruits tasted a LOT better and many were considering using them in baking once trade started up again.

Chazon managed to find Glenn again. "I need to ask a question. How rare are aetherytical magic crystals?"

Glenn widened his eyes. "They are so rare that the only known crystals were used in the creation of the Dragon Hourglasses to grant them teleporting powers."

"Yeah, Rino told me as much already." The question is… can I actually make… 'that' as well?

Recipe unlocked: Aetheryte Crystal

Required materials:

Magic Crystal (34/15)

Aetherytical Magic Crystal (2/1)

Any metal ore (Light Metal Ore (18/10))

Chazon blinked twice before sighing at his legendary weapon. I swear, you are the biggest troll to ever troll… I suppose better late than never.

"Chazon-sama? You suddenly looked exasperated. Is there anything the matter?" Glenn asked, secretly hoping to learn the truth behind why Chazon's eyes had lost their light.

Chazon shook his head. "Similar to what I once said when I first entered this village, it's better to show than to explain. My question is: have you found your village square wanting?"

Glenn looked surprised at the question before thinking about it. "Now that you point it out, it does seem slightly barren, like it could use something like a centerpiece to make it feel more complete."

"Then follow me. Call some village militia over as well as I'll need them for what's coming up as well."

Rino and Damalus had joined as well when they reached the square. Many villagers were murmuring about what the spear hero was about to unveil. Chazon, having already crafted the Aetheryte Crystal in his inventory on the way over, selected it and an icon appeared where it would be set. He directed it over to where Glenn pointed out to be the very center of the square and selected it. His status magic highlighted the entire square, presumably showing the area where everyone will teleport to.

Warning: Once you place the Aetheryte Crystal, it cannot be stored back into your inventory. Proceed?

Time to watch the magic show. Chazon confirmed the choice mentally and stood back.

What happened was a memory everyone present wanted to remember forever. As soon as Chazon confirmed his choice, a brilliant blue light filled the area where he chose and began swirling. After it started swirling fast enough, the crystal began to take form before fully appearing and affixing itself to the ground. It had the same appearance that the aetheryte crystals in A Realm Reborn had. A shame I can't see it's color...

The watching crowd erupted into cheers at the newly set crystal in their square as the swirling energies vanished. They instantly quieted down when Chazon approached it, focused a bit, then held his hand out towards it, remembering the magic lessons Merlay taught him and attuned to the crystal.

Lerno Village Aetheryte Attuned

Spell learned: Return

Spell learned: Teleport

"Chazon-kun. What did you just do?"

Chazon turned to the crowd at Rino's question. "This, ladies and gentlemen, is what's called an Aetheryte Crystal. Once you've attuned to it, no matter how magically inept you are, you will learn spells called Return and Teleport. To wit: it's a teleporting way-point that you can teleport to with those spells."

There were a lot of gasps at those words. Glenn asked the question on everyone's mind. "Then… even if we were to leave the village, we can teleport back at any time?"

Chazon nodded at that. "I should mention that Return has a 3 hour cooldown, but will allow you to return to a registered "home" Aetheryte Crystal. Teleport you can use at any time on any crystal, but it'll force you to lose money relative to how far away you are to it. Teleporting from, say, the Alchemist's Cave will incur less cost than teleporting from Castle Town. I know not where the money goes; presumably consumed by the crystal itself to be collected by its guards later."

Damalus let out a loud cheer at that. "That'll be a great boon for me while I'm out gathering for my apothecary business!" Many more cheers followed after his.

Even if I'm a failure as a hero, I at least should try and make the lives of the people around me more comfortable. Having a way to teleport home at any time should help ease minds when they travel. "I should mention that I myself don't know the limits of this teleporting magic. Will it teleport your entire carriage, or just you and your personal effects? I'll regale the answer to you all at a later point, but for now, there is no harm in attuning to it now."

As the townspeople set about attuning to their new Aetheryte Crystal, Glenn, Damalus, and Rino gathered around Chazon. Rino especially was ecstatic. "A way to return home at any time… I'm glad you found those Aetherytical Magic Crystals! If you can prove that you can teleport your whole carriage, then we can send our own traders out and have them just teleport back once they've finished up!"

Glenn nodded. "That's probably why you want guards posted around the crystal; to prevent people from damaging the crystal as well as catch wrong-doers if they teleport here."

"Also to keep tabs on who attunes to the crystal as well. For now, we should limit attunements to residents only until we can figure a system out." Damalus added with a big smile. "This will make waves in Melomarc, mark my words. You've done an excellent job, Chazon-sama!"

"It was nothing… and I mean that literally. I just wanted the people of this village to be a bit more comfortable. That's all there is to it." Chazon walked off somewhat solemnly, wishing he could truly behold how beautiful the crystal was. All everyone else could do was watch in worry as the spear hero kept his heart shut, oblivious to the cries of despair it was making.