Oy AN: Alright, this chapter most likely won't get priority for a while, but I wanted to start it off.
Review Replies
Guest 1: Not quite. The EXP is only split if the people who fight the monster are not in a party, otherwise it's shared. Naofumi learned that the hard way from Bitch.
Convenient? Of course. 1. It's a story. 2. The Mantle of Chiron makes him fated to find people of great potential.
No, the Sockets come from a CYOA that I used at the beginning. I'm reasonably certain it was not present in canon.
HIT increases accuracy, dexterous movements, critical damage and eyesight. SPD is running speed, agility, acrobatics and the chance that an enemy attack will miss.
UO: So we had a couple of flamers on the last chapter. I believe they said that we had a good thing going until he saw that Nick had a party and that Marcia should not be a character.
Guest 2:
UO: You really, REALLY underestimate the scaling of the Legendary Weapons. Yes, their growth gives them vast potential, but the fact of the matter is, they're still gonna start off extremely weak.
Second, could Nick have taken the boss down? If this was a normal RPG, perhaps. You might be right then. But we're rolling with the Xenoblade Chronicles logic. That means if your characters are more than two or three levels lower than the opponent, then you're gonna have a Bad Time. Rewards are higher yes, however you take a hit to accuracy and dodging. Since Nick's only defense would BE dodging, that's gonna equal one dead bowman.
Marcia being out of place...okay seriously you didn't read the series enough. There is a literal nation of demihumans that worship the Shield.
Your utter contempt for a story that doesn't follow your own logic is utter bull.
Anything to add my friend?
NS: Yeah, I'd like to add on to the point about demihumans. You say that it's unrealistic for demihumans to live free in Melromarc? I'm afraid that you're quite incorrect, because before the first Wave came along, Raphtalia's village was still around. Imagine that, an entire village and region inside Melromarc's borders, full of non-enslaved demihumans. Therefore, no, a free demihuman wandering the country is not as implausible as you might think. Would Marcia be harrassed by humans? Sure. Maybe. But that number is lower than usual due to the fact that she's big enough to snap them in half.
As for your 'suggestion,' oh yeah, real insightful there. Lemme just uproot the chapter that I spent weeks writing after lots of planning, toss it out entirely, and come up with a brand new one on the goddamn spot.
I think I'll just keep going with what I've got, thanks. Judging by your review, I've already managed to attract your scorn, so at least nothing will change on that front.
Zennishi:
UO: So you think a sniper who's low rank can take on a giant beetle all by himself? Yes he will work on getting more people. But the first member is normally accidental. Also, really, Marcia is a Deus Ex Machina? Well so is every upgrade the heroes get.
Also for those asking about the speed that isn't a flame. Nick isn't that fast yet and the beetle had a full head of steam.
NS: In addition, the fact of the matter is that Nick was just flat out unlucky. If he'd managed to jump up into the trees successfully, he could have avoided the charge.
UO: To use DnD Logic, he had an Acrobatics check at Disadvantage and rolled a Nat 1.
NS: As for his looks,
1. You're reading a tad much into how ugly he looks. It's more of an 'older Snape' look than 'crazed hobo.'
2. Bold of you to assume that Risk made him look that way to be a direct detriment against him, as opposed to, say, just fucking with him for shiggles.
You might say then that I had no reason to do this whatsoever. You might even be right. However, all of that is meaningless, because that's what I wanted to do.
UO: We good on the rants? *summons heroes from his series* or are we gonna get uglier?
NS: Put 'em away, we don't need to turn this into a skit.
UO: Awwww… *hears explosions* goddamn it. *runs back to his own fic*
"Speech"
Text/system
Thoughts
Mental Communication
Accursed/Divine
Skill/Technique/Spell
Chapter 4: The Journey of a Thousand Leagues
"120 Silver pieces for 6 basic health potions? Like hell!" Nick growled, giving the wiry middle-aged shopkeep his best glare, "Are you trying to bleed me dry so that I'll need them? No, 60 silver. You've got dozens of 'em on display, don't think you can pull the wool over my eyes with 'scarcity of materials!'"
"Well, you see…" The shopkeeper began, his legs shaking from the glare Nick was giving off. "People need all of these potions to survive out in the wilds…"
"Then why are they on your shelves instead? Or did you hike up the prices for them too, until nobody wanted to buy them?" The Bow Hero leaned in, pinning the man in place with his stare. "I'd rethink that policy, my good man."
Before the man could reply, the door to the back slammed open. "What the hell's going on now? Oi, Stan, are you giving the customers shit again?"
The now-named Stan started to sweat. "Um...n-no, Dad."
An older man, with a sharp look in his eye that rather reminded Nick of himself, approached the counter. "Good. 'Cause those're my potions you're hawking, and I say they're 10 Silver each."
Nick smiled. "Gladly."
Fortunately, silver coins did not only come in denominations of 1. There were also 10 and 100 piece coins, same with the Coppers. He gave them 6 of the 10 piece ones happily and left the shop with Marcia in tow. The massive demihuman followed along, light on her feet despite her size. It was apparent she hadn't been in big cities like the capital very often, or even at all, turning her head to gaze, wide-eyed, at every person and shop that they passed. She seemed ignorant of all the stares she attracted, probably because of her size or perhaps being a free demihuman.
"Hey, Sir Nick," she piped up suddenly, "How'd you get chosen as a Hero?"
The man shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at her, though making sure to keep his scarf up. "It was a simple process. I just got summoned from another world, same as the other three."
"Just…random chance?" Marcia asked.
Nick's mouth twisted under his scarf as he thought of his 'sponsors.' "Yes. That's about it," he deadpanned.
She nodded, frowning. "Hm…so if things were different, I coulda joined the Shield Hero…"
"Don't sound so disappointed. You wouldn't have to protect him as much."
"Oh. Oh yeah…"
Nick just stared up at her for a moment, before snorting. "You're an odd one."
Marcia cocked her head, her ears twitching. "Thank you?"
Before Nick could reply further, the crowd in front of them parted to reveal a group of guards. The man at the front, a frazzled-looking fellow in need of a shave, cleared his throat. "Thank goodness, you're still here, Sir Ward."
"So it would seem," he agreed dryly, "What now? Am I to be called back to the castle twice today?"
"That won't be necessary," said the guard. If there was any amount of distaste that the man held for Nick due to his previous actions, then he was quite adept at hiding it. Giving a jerk of his head, another guard stepped forward, holding a small cushion, atop which sat a silvery sphere. "In addition to the six hundred silver coin stipend, his Majesty has issued several Skill Orbs for the Heroes to use. Since we were unable to reach you at the time, only this orb remains; Sir Amaki and Sir Motoyasu have already claimed a majority of the skills set aside for themselves and their parties."
Nick's eyebrows rose. "Skill Orbs, you say?"
Marcia perked up. "Oh, I know this one! They let you learn a skill right away, right?"
"Yes indeed miss, though it odd that the others didn't want this one."
Nick nodded and took the orb. The guard glanced at the Bow Hero with a bit of embarrassment. "Just between you and me, Sir Bow Hero, you… raised some good points about the Shield Hero, but the King won't hear anything about it."
The Hero rolled his eyes. "Of course he won't. From the sound of it, there's something personal going on for him."
"I… couldn't tell you."
He shrugged. "I don't expect you to. I suppose I'll have to ask him myself some time. Good day."
The guards waved them off as they departed, heading further into town. Marcia looked at Nick. "What's going on? Why are you and the king not on good terms?"
Nick rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "No, I dare say we aren't."
Marcia frowned, her brow furrowing cutely. "Oh…you were talking about the Shield Hero, right?"
"Yeah. He was accused of… assaulting his own party member, and now he's basically a criminal to this whole country."
"What?!" The massive demihuman jerked back in horror. "That can't be right! Back home, the Shield is-!"
"I know, you told me," said the older man, motioning for her to quiet down as her outburst attracted even more looks, "But that's not how it is here. The Shield Hero helps out demihumans, right? Well…" He grimaced, the distress on her face making his heart feel heavy. "This kingdom doesn't like Demihumans much."
"But…" Marcia shifted uncomfortably, "Th-those villages I passed through were pretty nice…"
"People are different," he replied, reaching up to pat her on the arm, "But the fact of the matter is, if you weren't so imposing, I'd bet some of them would have things to say about you."
The demihuman girl gave a keening whine in the back of her throat, biting her lip in distress. "I… but I haven't done anything!"
"Neither has the Shield Hero," agreed Nick gently. "But if someone tries to start something, they will immediately blame him or you."
Marcia bunched up, her fluffy tail drooping in sadness. Nick reached up and hugged her shoulders. "I'm not and will never be one of those scumbags. You left your home because you were inspired to be a hero. That's pretty amazing, you know?"
She shuffled her feet, saying nothing.
Nick sighed, patting her on the back before separating. "C'mon, let's find somewhere private to look at this thing."
"…Okay."
Glancing around, he motioned for her to follow as he stepped into a small alley between buildings. She filled the gap imposingly, blocking him from view as she stood over him, her expression sullen and darkened. Giving her a sympathetic look, Nick focused his attention on the silver ball he now held comfortably in his hand.
Would you like to learn the Skill: Basic Movement Techniques? Y/N
Nick raised an eyebrow. What sort of movement technique constitutes 'basic' in this world? But I suppose I could see why those two turned up their noses at it. However, even as he prepared to accept, he paused. "Hmm…"
"Hm?" Marcia added inquisitively.
"Mm."
She gave a small, huffing chuckle at his response as the Hero reached into his pocket. Her blue eyes widened when he withdrew a sooty, russet Forgestone. "Oh! What's that?" she asked, perking up.
He smiled under his scarf, happy to see her already bouncing back. "It's a magic gem. You see, I've got some…advantages that the other Heroes don't have. Just don't tell the Sword and Spear Hero, they'll just get jealous." He gave her a wink.
"I won't!" she responded, nodding eagerly.
Laughing, he looked back at the Skill Orb. "Sockets."
Three holes flared open around the ball, equidistant from each other. "Three, huh?" he muttered, digging into his pocket again, "I guess I've got these last two for today as well." Pulling out an Arcanite and Dreamer's Guard, he let the sockets pull his stones out of his hand. "I'll be using the one-time boost, as well as enhancing the skill inside with magical power, as well as inspiring creative uses for it."
*Ktink, ktink-ktink!*
Snapping his fingers, the Sockets slammed shut, and the Skill Orb began to glow. When it died down, its uniform metallic sheen had dulled, as if sand-blasted. He tilted it around and noticed the parts that did not catch the sun instead became transparent, showing a swirling of subtle colors.
"Whoahhhh…" uttered Marcia, her eyes transfixed at the shiny surface, "I don't get it, but you changed it!"
Nodding, Nick once more focused on the message that had popped up in his Status.
Would you like to learn Basic Movement Techniques?* Y/N
Note: Skill has been modified.
Smiling with satisfaction, he accepted this time, and flinched as the ball flashed brightly, shining in his hand. Meanwhile, he could feel new knowledge settling into his head, some sort of new muscle memory imprinting itself into his body. When it died down, the orb had gone dark, the colors slowing down.
"Yeah…yeah, that is something. Come on, we can still get some grinding in before dark." Nick motioned for her to follow, stepping past her out of the alleyway, while also stowing the darkened Skill Orb in his bag.
Marcia perked up and bounced along beside him as they headed out of town.
The next day
As promised, they had indeed gone out for a bit more grinding, this time taking on the Balloons that Naofumi had fought. The Shield Hero seemed to have left already, though, leaving them free to hunt instead. The new arrows that he'd acquired from the large beetle the day before obliterated each and every monster with brutal weight and speed. As a result, Nick ended up unlocking a series of simple bows, the Yellow, Orange and Red Shortbows. They only gave him a tiny amount of stat bonuses, but somehow it just felt satisfying to unlock them.
After that, they headed back to the inn to sleep.
TBH
The next morning, once they'd eaten and cleaned themselves, Nick figured that they would head out properly. After questioning the bar, they were pointed in the general direction of an old dungeon and set out.
Instead of the woods to the North, they went slightly further to the Northwest, towards a large river. Beyond it were a series of grassy hills that rose several feet above them, covered in rocks, before gradually leading into several imposing mountains, which stretched beyond the cloud layer. The rivers cut through the valley, yet something felt off about them. It could have been the Dungeon Waves making the world more dangerous, but the rivers seemed like a perfect breeding ground for trouble.
As they travelled, the hills began to darken, grass and flowers growing more and more sparsely, as if life was slowly being siphoned from the area, despite the flowing river. "Man, this area's seen better days. How long have these waves been happening?" murmured the Bow Hero, bending down to examine a flower, "Hm...no bees. Must be hard to pollinate."
"So what are we gonna do?" Marcia asked.
"Well, fishing seems to be on the table," Nick motioned to the river.
"OOOH fishies!" Marcia squealed, eyes lighting up.
Chuckling, the Bow Hero approached the waters. "I got an idea: how about you try to scare them up? Try to get them out of the water. I can snipe them with my Bow…probably."
Nodding eagerly, the hulking demihuman stripped off her armor and fur, revealing a simple shirt and her long skirt, removing her boots as well. She waded into the river with a splash, grinning eagerly and waiting for my next move.
"Alright then, start flinging!" Nick said pulling back his bow, gripping several arrows.
The wolf girl quickly scanned the water and leaped in. Seconds later, several bass and trout came flying out of the river, flailing with shock. The man didn't hesitate, firing as each one reached its arc, knocking them away to the other bank with arrows piercing their scaly hides.
"Well done!" he laughed, hopping from rock to rock across the river. His new skill let him keep his balance easily, despite their slickness. Reaching the other side, he knelt down and counted the fish he'd shot, finding ten. "We'll need to preserve some of these, unless you're hungry enough to eat several in one go."
"Can I?!" asked Marcia brightly, splashing towards him with her tail wagging.
"Your armor is still on the other side!"
"Ah. Oops."
TBH
Taking a moment to make the wolf girl put her armor back on, the two of them then got a fire going to roast the fish. Nick pulled a packet of salt from his inventory, glad that he'd thought to bring it; even if his cooking was rather rusty, a little salt would improve the taste, not to mention help preserve anything Marcia didn't eat for later.
While Marcia worked on the fire, he skinned, gutted and deboned fish, putting them aside in a pile. As he cleaned the fish, some of the scales fell off and landed on his exposed hands. "Hm…" he grimaced at the oily touch that now stained his hands, preparing to cast a spell to clean them off, but paused. Unslinging his bow, he propped it in his lap, gem facing upwards, before grabbing the other fish-skins. Bundling them together, he squeezed them, wringing them out like a cloth, until a stream of oil began dripping from his clenched fist, right onto the bow's gem. However, instead of splashing, the droplets suddenly stopped in midair, as the yellow stone began to glow, a magic circle floating above it. The oil swirled around the circle gently, and then evaporated into nothing.
Coatings Unlocked.
Fish-Oil Coating Unlocked
Ability: Oiled Attacks (Small)
"Well I'll be damned," he muttered, smiling, "There's still more to unlock, is there? How many things am I gonna have to give you, huh? Here, take these skins while you're at it!" Nick dropped the fish-scales on the bow. Instantly the bow absorbed them, unlocking a new form.
New Form Unlocked
Composite River Trout Scale Bow
Rarity: Common
Ability: SPD +11, Swim Speed Up (Small)
Bonus: SP +11
Sockets: 2
"Yeah, that's what I thought…Quite the opportunistic weapon, aren't you? Well, better that than being overly picky about what to take forms from."
Marcia looked up from the fire. "Who're you talkin' to, Sir Nick?"
He blinked. "...Nobody." When she cocked his head at him, blinking owlishly back, he glanced away, grabbing the bones he'd extracted from the fist, and dropped them in next, watching them float over his Bow before crumbling away.
Fish-Bone Arrow
Rarity: Common
Ability: Splinter 1, Dark Up (Small)
Sockets: 1
"Hm, that's a bit better. Anything else striking my fancy...oh! What about the salt?"
"Um…Sir Nick, I wanna eat first…"
He paused, then cleared his throat. "Right. That too."
She giggled. "Old people sure are silly…"
"Oi. Keep stuff like that on the inside, would you?"
"Hm?"
"Age comments."
"Sorry," Marcia replied, though her face said otherwise. Rolling his eyes, they went about their meal.
At the end of the meal, Nick remembered his idea. Grabbing a small handful of salt, he poured that onto his Bow as well.
Salt Coating Unlocked
Ability: Painful Attack (Small)
He grinned. "Opportunistic weapon…I think I'm gonna like it."
Once satisfied, they continued on their trek. Close to sundown, he finally called a halt, eyeing his companion. "Marcia, let's see if we can find a town."
"Why? I can keep going!" Marcia said raising her fists.
"Sure, but I'd rather not tire myself out before we even get anywhere," Nick chuckled. "Let's find an inn and start fresh tomorrow. You wouldn't happen to know if there's a village nearby, would you?"
The wolf-girl cocked her head, ears swivelling as she frowned thoughtfully. "Uh…yeah! Just a lil' bit that way!" she waved vaguely in the direction of the valley side. "Once we pass around this mountain it should be there!"
Nick squinted into the distance, trying to see where the mountain would curve away. "You sure we can get there by nightfall?"
"You're too slow, old man~" Marcia giggled, sprinting away without warning.
"Oh!" groaned the Bow Hero, smacking his forehead, "Get back here! Oi! We shouldn't get sepa- COME BACK!"
TBH
It took a little bit to catch up to the rambunctious demihuman, and a few minutes more to make her calm down. After that, it was a calm walk around the mountain. The sun was halfway down the horizon when they reached the small village Marcia talked about. Surveying it from a hill, he saw that it seemed to be less of a town and more of a large farming hamlet. There were fields for grazing, terraces, and a few bridges where the river split off smaller streams, which ran through the place.
"Come on, the inn's this way!" Marcia cheered, pulling Nick along, almost dislocating his shoulder with her strength. As they went, the man felt his notebook mentally ping him, while his map marked down the location of the village.
The rate for the inn was much the same as in the capital, though now he had to worry about paying for both of them.
"Two rooms please," Nick asked the kindly older gentleman.
"Why two? Wouldn't it be cheaper for one?"
He shook his head. "We gotta pay per person, not per room, and after what happened in the capital, I'd rather not risk inviting rumors."
Marcia pouted, but nodded in understanding. A few minutes of negotiating and moving around, they were set up in their rooms.
"Alright Marcia, you can stay here until we need to go to sleep, alright?" Nick told her, setting up his bed.
"Why?" she whined .
"It's not exactly kosher for an unmarried woman to be in the same room as a strange man. Much less someone currently your age."
She cocked her head. "Are you calling yourself strange?"
"No...just that we haven't known each other long, it's a little awkward." Then his expression darkened. "Not to mention, after what happened with Naofumi, I'd rather limit the chance of rumors spreading."
"Oh." Marcia sagged slightly. "Right…being a hero has lots of tough things to remember, doesn't it?"
Nick laughed. "Everything in life does, sweetheart. It's all about how good you are at overcoming the hard times."
"Yeah…Mama told me about how sometimes, no one would buy our stuff, so it'd be hard to eat. But she told me that as long as you keep going, you can get past it," murmured the wolf-girl thoughtfully, before beaming. "That's why I'm always smiling! So that we can get through the bad times! And, I wanna make sure that other people can stay alive and reach the good times."
"A simple motivation," said the older man, sitting down on his bed, "But those're the easiest to follow."
"Mm…"
He smiled at her from under his scarf. "Right then, we got a long day tomorrow, so I recommend you go get some sleep. Good night, Marcia."
She nodded, standing up. "Good night, Sir Nick."
Nick watched her leave the room and laid back onto his bed. Well, if nothing else, her conviction is noble. I think she'll do just fine with me. I just hope that when reality bears down on her, those convictions won't crumble.
TBH
Nick yawned as he opened his eyes. "Hm? Morning already?" He mumbled. Opening them up further, he blinked. "Apparently. I presume this is morning, at least…"
He sat up, wincing as he realized that he was lying on hard stone. He found himself sitting inside a small cave, with the sun shining brightly through the opening, reflecting off the glassy walls and floor. Running through the walls and bristling from protrusions were crystals, everywhere he looked. "What on earth is this place?" he asked aloud. "One way to find out I suppose."
He summoned his journal and began to skim through it. His eyebrows shot up, before he squinted at the pages. All the text had become jumbled together and blurry, impossible to read. More bizarrely, his mental map had no idea where he was, in relation to where he'd been, yet at the same time, he was still in the inn he and Marcia had gone to.
Then he realized: this was a dream. But at the same time, his surroundings were far too clear to only be a dream, and his thoughts were too lucid.
Suddenly, the Journal flipped through its pages, coming to rest on one that hadn't been rendered illegible.
The Garden of Gems
Your ability to Socket magic gems comes from your soul being connected to this ethereal realm. When you sleep, your mind will wander its endless course, in order to study its mysteries and decipher them.
Over the course of 1 month, you may unlock 2 of any of the following choices:
A new Gem type
A new Thread type
A new power for 1 Gem that you already possess
"A month, huh?" murmured Nick, rubbing his chin in thought, "How's that gonna work out with the Waves, I wonder? Hopefully I'll have enough time to complete one before the next Wave…" Then he frowned. "Actually, hang on, Threads? What're those?"
The Journal flipped over to a different page…making him swear when it too turned out to be illegible.
"Great, now what?" he mumbled. Looking around, something glinted red out of the corner of his eye. Striding out of the cave, he saw a rose, formed of a bright red, delicate crystal that made up everything from its petals to its thorns. As he approached, the light caught it in such a way that for a moment, he thought he saw ethereal tendrils reaching out towards him from it, and kept his distance just in case. However, he made a mental note to come back to it later.
The smooth, glassy ground rolled away, a stripe of color denoting a path for him to follow. He was glad for this, as while there was vegetation, the tall grass looked like it would slash his legs to ribbons.
A jingling and rustling drew his attention. He looked around, then leaped slightly back as a lizard, almost five feet long, crawled across the path, stopping for a moment to look back at him. Its hide was thick and scaly almost like an alligators, but also jagged, and sparkled green in the sun. It regarded him with round, blank eyes, then continued on its way, trundling off into the grass.
He shook his head, mystified, but considered studying whatever that had been as well.
A breeze blew through the place, making him realize that it was quite warm here. He gazed around, taking in the sights. With the sun (much larger in the sky than normal) beaming down on him, the entire Garden glittered and shone like…well, like gems. He could see outcroppings of rock in the distance, hear the faint burbling of a river, and even feel some sort of intangible streams blowing through his hands. Were those Threads? He wanted to stay a little while longer, but apparently the wind had different ideas. He stumbled as it suddenly picked up, actually pushing him back, then yelped as he was suddenly lifted off his feet, and flung back into the cave.
TBH
He awoke with a start, grunting in discomfort as his heart pounded and he broke out in a cold sweat. Slowly, he sat up, looking around, to see that he was back in the inn. Standing up, he grabbed his Journal off the table and opened it. Sure enough, there was an entry on the Garden of Gems, with a small note underneath.
Research
Blood Ruby: 1%
Drakestone: 1%
So those two things counted as gems, huh? he thought, remembering the rose and lizard. Then he flipped back to the other entry that had caught his eye.
Threads
While Gems are absolutely essential for Socketing, Threads are almost as important for anyone wanting to take their enhanced items even further. Threads allow power to flow from one Gem to another, altering its abilities. Different types of Threads allow for different methods of power transference, but as a rule, each Gem can only 'transmit' and 'receive' once each.
Warning: by creating more complex Arrays of Gems, you start generating larger amounts of Resonance, as the nature of the Garden is enforced more and more on the Socketed object. Take some time between Socketing when creating Arrays, especially when multiple Gem types are involved. An overload of Resonance will destroy the object and all Gems Socketed in it.
You have access to 3 Thread types
Disperse: At any time, you can negate all Threads in an Array and cause the object to eject all Socketed Gems.
Leap: Using this Thread, the power of a Gem Socketed into one object can flow to a Gem in another object. However, due to the distance, the effects are weaker.
Fray: This Thread links one Gem to another. However, as you do so, you can place 'filters' on which aspects of a Gem's power will be passed on, strengthening those aspects while limiting others.
He nodded slowly, frowning in thought. "These threads seem like they can make things even more interesting. But I don't have time to analyze it right now; I've already spent so much time getting my gear Socketed. I'll probably have to spend today's Gems on Marcia too…"
Opening his Inventory, he was relieved to see that indeed, his gems had restocked, with three each. "Good, good..."
"What's good?" Marcia asked, scaring the wits out of him.
"Jesus! When'd you get here?" he yelped, grabbing his scarf.
She blinked. "Just now, why? Eh, why're you wrapping up your face?"
He grumbled, pulling on his armor. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't have the friendliest look. Better to hide it so that I don't put people on edge."
"I don't think it's ugly."
Nick paused. "Thank you. But at the same time, it's not a face that people would readily trust."
"I trust you."
He turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide, honesty practically shining from her round face. Nick wanted to point out to her that she'd only just met him, that he could easily be deceiving her like Naofumi had been deceived. But he wasn't; saying it would only be treading on the innocent good-will that she was giving to his weary heart. So he only smiled at her, even as he wrapped the scarf around the lower half of his face. "Thank you, Marcia. You really are a sweetheart."
"Eheheeh~" giggled the large girl, beaming and wagging her tail.
"Come on, let's see if there's a dungeon around here."
The two of them exited the room and headed downstairs to the tavern area. After ordering breakfast, Nick approached the bartender and asked about the area. "So, is there an old Dungeon around here or are you guys safe?"
"Dungeons eh?" The innkeeper hummed rubbing his chin. "There's one about two hours East of here, in the swamps. Careful though, there are some nasty leeches out there. Probably more than a few spawned from the Dungeon, now that I think about it."
"Is it not that dangerous to live so close to an old Dungeon, then?" asked Nick.
The man shrugged. "Well, it's been around since I was a kid and nothing more than the usual monsters ever strays close to the village, so it seems safe enough."
"Fair enough. C'mon Marcia."
"O-kay~"
TBH
Once they'd paid, they set off from the village, heading East. The farms quickly faded from view, until even the grazing animals stopped appearing. As they did, the ground began to get muddier, indicating some sort of water nearby. Further in, they could see reeds, banyan trees and standing water, indicating that they had arrived.
"Let's stop for a moment," said Nick suddenly, searching for a dry place. Spotting a few large, mossy boulders, he hopped nimbly up onto it and sat down, cross-legged.
"Eh? But we only just left!" protested Marcia, even as she too sat on the rock.
He nodded, reaching into his pocket. "Yeah, but I'd rather not do this while in the village. Don't want people getting suspicious of my abilities."
She cocked her head. "Huh? Whatcha gonna do?"
"I'm going to enhance your armor and weapons."
"Oh…eh, wait?! Really!" The dark-skinned wolf-girl perked up. "Like you did with that orb-thing the other day?"
Nick chuckled. "That's right. If you're gonna be fighting alongside me, it's only right. I'll only do one or two gems for each piece, though; we'll want to get you better equipment before the next Wave."
Marcia frowned at that, looking down at her axe. "R…right…" she mumbled, but there was some reluctance in her voice.
"That axe got sentimental value for you?" he asked, noticing.
"Ah, um…" she fidgeted for a moment. "It's my papa's axe. I took it when I left." She bit her lip, looking guilty at the admission.
"Well...then I suppose we'll have to make sure it doesn't get broken, then," noted the Hero, pulling out his Gems. "Right so these are some basic gems. These Forgestones will go into your axe and er…your chest-plate, I suppose."
Marcia looked down at the hide breastplate covering her chest. "Okay then!" She said reaching back to untie it.
"No no no, you can leave it on. Hold out your shield."
When she obliged, the man tapped it with his finger. "Socket." Two sockets opened over it, one in the center, one just above it. He held up a glowing, flickering Arcanite. "So, this one will make it so that your shield can protect from magic, and even project a force field…though you might need to figure out how it works. I'm no expert on magic."
*Ktink!*
Marcia gave an, "Ooh!" of excitement, her eyes shining, as her round shield changed. A ring of iridescent violet runes was now inscribed around the heart of the shield, while the iron itself darkened further.
"There we go, now we should do the armor." He put a hand on her back, opening up three more Sockets, before picking up a Forgestone. "This will temper your armor and make it tougher, as well as make sure that it repairs itself."
*Ktink!*
Then, taking her shield, he opened up the Sockets again. "Now, I'm gonna try something I haven't done yet." He pinched the air above the Arcanite and pulled. As he did so, an ethereal, yellow-orange wisp of energy rose from the stone, trailing from his fingers. He dragged it all the way to the Forgestone imbedded in Marcia's armor, until finally it connected. The two gems pulsed brightly, making the objects they were embedded in glow as the sockets faded away again. "Alright, now your shield is giving your armor some of that magic defense. Hopefully. I think. Yes."
"Mm."
"Mm indeed. Now hold out that axe." The girl did so hesitantly and Nick opened up its Sockets. "Hm. Three seems to be an average for most objects," he commented, slotting in another Forgestone. The Axe gleamed as the head sharpened itself, the handle growing more polished. "And that'll do for now. Let's go."
"Right!"
Hopping off the boulder, they ventured deeper into the swamp. Nick grimaced as the mud grew looser, clinging to his feet. "Be sure to steer clear of any deep water, that's where leeches hang out."
As they trudged through the swamp, the canopy began to grow thicker and thicker, blocking out most of the sunlight. What little sunlight that filtered through was making the whole swamp seem spookier, the muggy air catching the rays with gas and bugs.
Marcia stuck closely behind Nick, covering her nose with a groan. "It stiiiinks!" she complained.
"Yeah, swamps tend to do that," he agreed dryly.
She took two steps forward, before promptly catching a buried tree root and pitching forward face first. Due to being right behind him, Nick found himself suddenly eating several inches of mud as several pounds of armored wolf-girl suddenly slammed into him.
*Splash*
The two companions smacked down into the wet mud. Nick groaned, both in disgust and exasperation. Damnit, I liked these clothes…
Marcia whined as she sat up, the mud sticking to her body. "Uuuuugh…"
Similarly, Nick left an imprint in the ground as he pulled himself out of the ground, making a loud sucking sound. "You said it. Hold on, I've got a spell for this, I think…"
It took a few moments to recall the incantation required to cast the spell, and it then took more than one cast to expunge all the mud from their clothes, due to the sheer amount of muck they'd accumulated from the faceplant.
"Man, that's a lot of mud," Marcia said with a disgusted look.
Nick hummed as they emerged from the puddle. "Check for leeches."
The screech that came next could have woken the dead. Up and down, the poor girls legs were a dozen of the blood suckers. "Get 'em off get 'em off get 'em ooooooff!" she wailed, stamping her legs and running around in a panic.
"Marcia, relax! I can take care of this!" ordered the Hero, grimacing at the number of black, bulbous shapes hanging off her exposed thighs. Pulling out the bag of salt, he began scattering it over her legs. Instantly the leeches popped off, splashing back down into the marsh.
Marcia stood hunched, shivering and whimpering, wiping furiously at her now leech-free legs, pale-faced and sweating. "No, no no…"
Nick sighed, reaching up to pat her head. With her size, it was easy to forget that she was just a young girl. "It's okay, Marcia," he assured her softly, rubbing behind the fuzzy ears on her head. He got an appreciative whine out of her, and she nuzzled her round cheek into his hand.
"'m sorry…" she mumbled, covering her face with her hands, "I wanted to be an adventure, but I'm already s-scared…"
"Falling in a puddle and getting your blood sucked will do that," he pointed out gently, "You've got nothing to be ashamed of."
Marcia nodded slowly, not looking him in the eye. Then she perked up as something else caught her gaze. "Look!"
Nick turned and noticed it to. Swamps were naturally lowlands, for something to slope further down meant one thing. There was something unnatural underneath.
"Marcia, I think you found the dungeon."
"R-really? Wow! I just thought it looked interesting…"
He chuckled. "Well, chances are, if something looks interesting, then it probably is." Then his smile faded. "Remember what that man said in the village. The leeches came from there. Chances are we're gonna run into even more down in that hole. Think you can handle it, Marcia?"
The wolf girl nodded, her eyes closing for a moment as she took a deep. They slowly walked down the ramp, what little light they had quickly fading away. Marcia latched onto Nick, clinging to his arm, but he gently pried her fingers away. "Keep your weapon at the ready," he told her seriously, unslinging his bow and transforming it into the Fish-scale Bow he'd just acquired. Sure, the stats it gave were extremely weak, but once he leveled up, its skills would stick with him.
At the same time, he raised his free hand. "As the Hero of the Bow, I decipher the laws of nature, and bid the sun to banish night: First Light."
An orb of pure light blossomed from his palm, moving to over his head with a casual toss. The narrow walls of the tunnel they'd entered were now thrown into stark relief, riddled with grassroots and dripping with foul fluids. It was a wonder that it didn't collapse immediately. As the tunnel continued, it slowly started to widen out, until suddenly, they stepped out into a large chamber. In fact, it was too big to even really be called a chamber; the ceiling was completely covered in darkness, and as far as the eye could see, everything was more marshlands. Large immaculate, rough but solid stone stretched up from the ground and out of sight, presumably keeping the above ground swamp from collapsing on them. Large patches of water sat everywhere, murky and eerily still, with narrow paths of dirt and stone winding between them. A few glowing spots stood in the distance.
"Eh…eh!? This's way too big!" gasped Marcia, her eyes widening, "I thought it'd be a big tunnel all the way through!"
"A Dungeon that spawns in a marsh would probably take after the place it was created in," replied Nick, mostly speaking to himself as he rubbed at his chin. "Or maybe it was the Dungeon that turned the place above into a swamp in the first place? Dungeon Waves are supposed to be distortions in dimensions, aren't they? Why not distort the land as well?" Nick gestured to her, taking a step forward. "Let's go. Keep an eye out for any movement, or anything shiny. These things are supposed to be loaded with all sorts of resources."
The pathways between all the puddles were muddy, the stones in them almost all covered in a thick, fuzzy moss. Nick bent down to examine the soil for a moment. "Silt," he muttered, rubbing a bit of it between his fingers, "The water probably has plenty of nutrients in it, which enriches the soil. That village might appreciate some." Standing up, he dusted off his hands and continued on, Marcia cocking her head in confusion as she stared skeptically down at the ground. Nick sighed. "Floods bring special nutrients to soil. They normally happen in the spring thanks to snowmelt and flooding spreads into the farmlands.
"Oh! That's why everyone's so happy when it warms up!" Marcia realized.
"Kind of. That's also why that village had so many farms; the rivers bring a similar amount of nutrients. The fact that that valley was so barren is unusual."
She gave a noise of understanding. "You know a lot of stuff about this. Were you a farmer, Sir Nick?"
"Eh…in a few past lives I was," he replied casually, shrugging.
"Huh?"
"Nevermind."
They continued on, their boots clunking and echoing loudly in the silent expanse. The whole dungeon stank of mold and decay, a smell that was sickening to the pair.
Marcia, whose nose was more sensitive than Nick's, let out a small, dog-like whine. "It smells like a cemetary in here."
"Try and relax Marica, and apologies about the smell." Nick assured her. He looked around and frowned. "With such an open area as this, you'd think it was a trap."
"Huh?"
"I'm just making observations. Usually in a Dungeon, you'd expect the Boss monster to have a big, open area to fight in. But you'd have to fight through an entire labyrinth to get to it in the first place. If this place is the whole Dungeon, then most likely, whichever set of Heroes cleared it out must have had to actively search for it. Given how murky the water is, it could've been adept at hiding from them."
"You…you think so…?"
Nick glanced around at her bewildered tone. "Well, we have no real way of knowing whether that's right. It's fun to think about what might have gone on here, years ago." I wonder if there are any people in other worlds who try to guess at what I did in my past lives? He chuckled at his own thoughts.
Their path wasn't all dirt, however. Roots drooped down towards them from the ceiling above, dangling all the way to the ponds. And sprouting from the roots, covering them all the way up to the ceiling, were clusters of several varieties of mushrooms. The most plentiful glowed in the dark, but there were others illuminated faintly by them, not to mention Nick's Light spell. "Ah, now THESE are worth coming down here for, I think."
Marcia wrinkled her nose. "Mushrooms? Why? I don't think you can eat those…"
"No, but like the fish scales, I think I can get new equipment from them." He explained, picking up a yellow mushroom. As he did so, the gem glowed, and the fungus crumbled away in his hand.
Paralysis Coating Unlocked
Ability: Paralyze Attack (small)
Cost: 5 SP per shot
"Hm… A new coating. But unlike the last one, it costs a bit to use," noted the Hero, frowning in mild annoyance. Then he shrugged. "Oh well. Paralysis has its uses."
The next two mushrooms only gave him more arrows, just like his first one. Besides the colors, however, the skills given by these called for raised eyebrows
Blue Mushroom Arrow Unlocked
Ability: Simple Recipes 1, Cleansing Spore-puff (Small)
Green Mushroom Arrow Unlocked
Ability: Apprentice Compounding, Mortar and Pestle
To his surprise, the cap of this arrow actually popped off, and could be used as a tiny bowl, while the shaft of the arrow could be used to presumably grind herbs into poultice. "Well, that's handy."
The final mushroom, the ones that had been lighting the underground cave, raised his eyebrows even further, as it transformed into a glowing bow, covered in mushrooms.
New Form Unlocked
Glowshroom Recurve Bow
Rarity: Common
Ability: SP +20, Glow-spore Shot, Luminescent
Type Bonus: +5 ATK
Sockets: 3
Nick nodded to himself. "So there ARE bows that can be made from mushrooms." As he closed the update, he noticed an exclamation mark over the Skill tab. "Helllo, what do we have here?"
Over in the massive web of skills, one of the larger nodes was shining
25 Weapon Unlocks reached! Aurora Fantasia Unlocked!
Aurora Fantasia
The output of a magical item may be increased by 100% (For Weapon Skills, 5 MP must be spent per SP required)
The Weapon Restriction of the Legendary weapon is partially lifted, allowing the use of magical focuses (wands, staves, etc.)
Magical items/resources can be detected
He cursed to himself, quietly enough that Marcia couldn't hear. He'd completely forgotten about that power, which he himself had chosen from one of the many CYOAs. Apart from the Mantle of Chiron, he'd neglected to take a look at his other abilities.
Quickly, he scanned around for the others, but didn't want to take too long; they were in the middle of a Dungeon, after all. However, he was disquieted to notice that a number of skills remained locked, particularly the ones that pertained to directly enhancing his body. He couldn't just use the Skill Points from leveling up to unlock them either; he had to fulfill specific requirements.
Deciding to try out his new one, he closed his eyes. "Aurora Fantasia," he intoned.
Something pulsed inside him, a swirl of effervescent colors greeted his mind's eye. He opened his eyes again, to find that his bow was glowing in a similar color. Looking around, everything else looked just about the same, but something glinted sharply out of the corner of his eye.
Off to the side, near the edge of one of the small ponds, something was shining in his vision. "Got something."
"What did you find?" Marcia asked curiously.
Stepping off the path, Nick trudged through the water and bent down, plucking the object from the mud. Whatever it was, it had been mostly buried in the muck, but with a little bit of digging, he pulled it free, before quickly sloshing back to the pathway.
Once he was out of the water, he took a look at the thing that had triggered his senses. It was a tiny, rounded gem, glowing a brilliant blue-white in the light of his bow and shimmering slightly. Shaking his hand to clear off the water, he was surprised to notice flakes of snow drifting to the ground. He pulled out his Journal with his free hand and opened it, hoping it might shed some light.
All he found, however, was a brief page describing the area itself.
Subterranean Swamp Dungeon (Cleared)
Terrain: Muddy
Weather: none
Resources: Fertile soil, crystal deposits (Uncommon), Elemental Opals (Ice) (Rare)
Monsters: Inter-dimensional Leeches, Inter-dimensional Galala Crocodile (Slain)
"An Elemental Opal, apparently," he said, finally answering his companion's question, "Must be a magic gem…" He looked up at her, an idea occurring to him. "Hey, gimme your axe for a moment."
Hesitantly, Marcia held out her weapon, and Nick held up the Opal, tapping the axe. "Socket."
As the three Sockets opened once more, he dropped the new gem into one set into the head of the axe. *Ktink!* It went in without any problem. "Aha! I knew it'd work!" Grinning, he clapped his hands, causing the Sockets to slam shut, and the axe began to glow. The head gained a series of intricate carvings around the cheek and shoulder, and the edge glowed with cold vapor, from heel to toe.
As the two of them gazed at the axe appreciatively, Nick heard something slimy behind them. "Marcia! We got a fight on our hands." He saw two giant, rippling slug-like creatures crawling slowly toward them, with Level 6 hovering over them, both inching closer. "We can take them if we coordinate well!"
Marcia nodded but as she tightened her grip, her eyes widened. Behind the two leeches, a glistening black tide was emerging from the water. She started to shake and back up. "S-s-sir N-N-Nick…?"
"I see them," acknowledged Nick curtly. "Don't worry, there's still one thing we can do here."
"W-what?"
"BOOK IT!"
The two of them turned and ran back along the path they'd taken, Nick trusting his mental map to show them the way back to the entrance. All around them, however, the water darkened further, and yet MORE leeches came pouring out onto the rocky ledges. He cursed, skidding to a stop and wheeling around, pulling out a couple of arrows. "Salt Coating," he recited, a bottle of some sort materializing onto the side of his bow as he pulled back his Fish-bone Arrow.
Taking a moment to identify the two massive black shapes in the distance, he fired once, twice.
Judging by the two faint screeches that echoed through the cavern, he'd hit the mark. The swarm slowed for a moment, and he took that as his cue to keep running. In no time at all, they could see the entrance coming up, illuminated by Nick's bow.
"Go Marcia, we're almost there!" Nick shouted. Just as he said this, four leeches leaped up onto his legs. "SHIT! MARCIA, GET OUT OF HERE!" His legs suddenly weakened, vision momentarily blurring, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw his HP starting to go down.
TBH
Marcia was still running, her heart pounding. The memory of all those tiny, rubbery, slimy bodies clinging to her, draining her HP just like that, kept her from looking back.
Papa was right…there're so many dangerous things out in the wild! she thought, tears welling up, Why did I think I could be an adventurer! I'm so stupid, like always! She was about to climb the stairs and then stopped. Sir Nick…he probably knows that too. But he didn't try to push me away...he helped me. He gave me those gems and never laughed at me…and this is how I repay him? I'm a coward…"
"MARCIA! GET OUT OF HERE!"
She flinched at the sudden shout, and turned to look back at him, only to stop dead. Nick was flinging leeches off, slashing at the ones that clung to his body with his arrows, struggling to follow her.
"I'm no good at my defense, but if someone like you is watching my back, then…"
"Thank you, Marcia. You really are a sweetheart."
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she was already moving, bringing up her axe in both hands. Her lips drew back to expose her teeth, and a brutal scream tore from her mouth as she brought it down. The head of the axe exploded with a blinding white light, and a wave of ice and snow blasted forward, washing over the path and ponds, and blowing past Nick, whipping up his scarf. All around him, leeches froze over and went still, the ones clinging to him crumbling away at his next swipes.
TBH
Immediately, he spun on his heel, pulling back the bowstring without nocking an arrow. "Glow Shot!" he yelled, taking aim once more at where he remembered the large leeches to be, and let loose. A pale blue ball of light blasted from the gem in his bow, rocketing away to strike a spot somewhere in the distance and burst. A cloud of glowing dust exploded from the point of impact, covering a small part of the squirming tide…but also illuminating the two larger, rounded leeches, highlighting them in the dark.
"There you are." Nick quickly pulled out two Mushroom Arrows and strung them up, incanting, "Salt Coating. Charge Shot. Aurora Fantasia!" The squishy arrows began to glow brightly, the salt mixture poured on them gleaming like gems as he sank his SP and MP into them, before releasing.
The arrows streaked away and stroke home with a distant *BAMF!* releasing yet another cloud of glitter. There came a distant screech of pain as the two large shapes writhed about madly, made only worse when the second arrow found its mark.
Combo Skill discovered: Coating Burst
Deciding to neither question the message nor press his luck by staying around, Nick sprinted for the exit again, dragging Marcia by the arm. With one big jump, they sprang up through the tunnel, crashing and rolling along the swampy floor.
"Pfftt," Nick spat out another mouthful of mud and wiped his face. "Okay...all in favor of not doing that again, say aye."
"Ayeeee," Marcia moaned, picking herself out of the muck and panting.
Nick heard some sniffling and looked up to see her curled up and hiding her face. "Marcia?"
"I'm SORRY!" The wolf girl wailed. "I'm a coward! I'm weak, I don't deserved to be an adventurer! Just tell me to go!"
He sighed. "The hell's this coming from? No, I won't do that."
"But I…I couldn't think at all! When I saw those things, I could only think about running! I left you behind!"
"Then why am I alive right now?"
She looked up, blinking wetly. "H-huh?"
"You used the enchantment on your axe and saved me, didn't you?" asked Nick, glancing at the weapon lying next to her
"That…I guess I did. But, I had no idea what I was doing!" she protested, running her fingers through her hair agitatedly, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I just…didn't want you to…"
Nick watched for struggle with herself for a moment, before sitting down next to her, putting a hand on her back. "Most heroes don't know what they're doing when they save lives. I've seen mothers shield their kids from gunmen, soldiers jumping on grenades and ordinary citizens running into fires. You wanted to save me, right? That feeling is the cornerstone of being a Hero, and it's not something that a young lady like you would have naturally most of the time. The fact that you did so, and chose to leave home at your age, speaks volumes about your potential."
Marcia wiped her eyes, which got some mud on them.
"So, what do you think?" he asked, "Do you still want to leave? I still need someone who can pull me out of a dangerous situation, if what I saw back there was any indication."
"I…I wanna stay…" she mumbled, "If I do…I can learn to not be afraid, can't I?"
He smiled. "You can learn to act despite being afraid."
"Mm…"
"Now c'mon, we need to go get cleaned up."
"Right…"
TBH
AN
UO: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!? Sorry on a movie quote binge!
NS: Took a little bit to figure out what I wanted to do with this chapter, but the next one I have a much clearer idea for. This chapter was to establish Marcia's personality and develop her a bit more. Since she's an OC, we can't just rely on people knowing canon. Hopefully, I've brought across that she's a simple girl with big ambitions, but ultimately naive.
In addition, Nick learns a bit more about the Bow and his Socketing ability, as well as unlocking one of his other powers, Aurora Fantasia.
Now for updated stats.
Oh, also, I went back to previous chapters and added the SP stat, since the Legendary Heroes have that in addition to MP.
Nick
Level: 6
HP: 664 (+56)
MP: 5693 (+82)
SP: 86
ATK: 756
DEF: 10 (+24)
HIT: 1253
SPD: 1369
INT: 258
RES: 61
Points: 21
Marcia
Equipment
Magically Tempered Hide Armor (+150 DEF, +25 RES)
Magic Round Shield (+150 DEF, +75 RES, Mana Barrier)
Tempered Hoarfrost Axe (+75 ATK, Ice Attack (Large))
Level: 6
HP: 889
MP: 93
ATK: 540 (+75)
DEF: 1285 (+300)
HIT: 432
SPD: 66
INT: 90
RES: 801 (+100)
As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave a review or send me a PM.
My next chapter probably won't be for a good while, due to helping a friend with his work. But when it does, it will most likely be Missing Link.
North South Out.