Day 63
You just stand there for a bit, organising the information you'd just gotten from Fortisax.
It doesn't take long, nor does it fix your confusion on when, exactly, you'd use the new information. But by the time you're done, you realise that the sun has begun to peak over the horizon outside your den.
[Causality: 12/17]
With you having already taken a day off from the academy, it wasn't much of a surprise that you decided to go today. The day off having rekindled your desire to learn there.
Which is a long way to say that you did not believe that the explosion that occurred halfway through the neutral magic class wasn't your fault.
After all, you were actually putting your best effort into learning.
"… I did not blame you Mister Votusax. I merely asked what exactly you had done while channelling your magic…"
[Neutral] (Plus)3 Level's - [34]
Fortunately, your other classes went much better than the neutral magic class. With you even getting specific, personal, guidance from the teachers more than a few time.
So clearly you were right that the explosion wasn't your fault.
[Enhancement] (Plus)2 Level's - [12]
[New tiers of enhancement magic aspects unlocked]
[Alchemy] (Plus)5 Level's - [45]
"Of course, of course… the class being ended early because of damage was entirely unjustified," Myra, who was finally coming to the academy again, confirmed, "now say 'ah'"
You grumbled, but opened you mouth regardless, leaning down and accepting the spoonful of food she was offering you. Savouring it.
It was the best-tasting one of all the ones she offered you today.
"Okay, so you prefer metal magic dust…" she mused, pulling out another bottle filled with glowing grey dust and pouring it into a bowl of soup, before putting it next the dozen other bottles on the table, "here, try this."
… it actually tasted really great!
[You get case of elemental magic dust spices]
Actually, now that you had her here you actually had a couple of things you realised you wanted to talk about.
"Ah, does this have anything to do with what we did in my room yesterday?" Myra asked… oddly loudly? Strangely enough, you also heard groaning from the nearby tables full of students when she said that.
A quick look around showed that it was from some female human students you didn't know, so you just shrugged and answered Myra.
Yes, it was related to that. Specifically, it wa-
You are interrupted as Myra suddenly rushes forward and places her hand over your mouth, "wait! Not here. That's a really private thing."
… you tilt your head.
Was it really that private?
"Yes," she nodded, the volume of her voice lowering to a more normal level, "it's a private thing among humans-"
And just like that, the privacy of your status became a lot less important.
"-so just follow me and we'll discuss it somewhere… more private."
Shrugging, you followed her as she led you to a separate empty room, with some of the human maids and butlers carrying the whole table's worth of food into that room and putting it onto the tables in the new room.
Which actually meant that you didn't have to stop eating the food with this new, surprisingly delicious, seasoning. Which was nice.
"Alright, so. What was it you wanted to talk about?"
Oh right, you wanted to ask some stuff. Like how come she's so low-level? Her statistics are pretty good for her level, at least judging from the vague snippets of memory you remembered from your time at that level—comparing the strength you remember to what her statistics say her strength is.
Which meant that she should have been able to level up fairly easily through hunting… did she not know how to do that?
"What, hunting?" you nod, "ah, no. I can hunt just fine, it's just that I'm trying not to level so I can increase my base stat and then let the stats from levels increase them even further. You know?"
… after a moment of thinking a moment of enlightenment strikes you.
So it was almost like what you did with the runes!
"… what are runes?"
Oh, they were these things you got from killing things in the lands between, you could use them to increase any of your statistics or even strengthen your abilities.
"That place the weird orb that called you Godwyn said you were actually from?"
Yeah, that's the plac- oh wait, you just remembered about the finger-reading crone! You'd completely forgotten about her after she'd… actually, where was she?
A quick glance into your storage says she's not in there. Maybe she's at your den?
"By any chance do you still have those runes?" you blink at Myra's question, momentarily knocked out of your line of thought. Instinctively, you check that internal well where the runes would be… and find nothing.
Huh? Looks like the runes disappeared.
In fact, if you concentrated you could feel that they… it was hard to describe, but the closest word would be that they dissolved? Yes, it felt like they just dissolved away over time.
You were annoyed, you hadn't known that the runes would do that, but not that annoyed. It was only a few runes after all.
Still, it also meant that you had to tell Myra that you didn't have any runes.
"That's a shame, but I guess it doesn't really change my plan much though…" placing a hand on her chin and in a thinking pose, Myra turns to look at you, "hey, Votusax. Would you be willing to agree to a change in the contract? I'm willing to trade any of my abilities for that forge of star ability you have."
Oh, does she want to eat more?
"Well, I mean… sort of? But I al-"
Sure, you don't mind. In exchange you would want that Mystic mind ability she had, maybe the Hardned mask or death affinity to… actually, you also really like her repressed breakdown ability. That one sounded nice.
"Heh, sounds cool… yeah," your words, for some reason, caused the aura surrounding her to grow weirdly muted for a moment, before suddenly surging again, "but anyways, that's great! Let me just make the offer… and… there!"
No sooner had she made the exclamation that you got the mental notification of the offer which you, after a quick read, accepted.
The surge in… something, was immediate.
"Oh yeah, gonna be feeling that for a bit," Myra too, seemed to have felt something from the change in contract, though hers didn't seem pleasant. At least judging by the way she was rubbing her stomach with a grimace, "so… anything else."
No, that was pretty much all you really wanted to ask.
"Alright then, let's get back to seeing what powdered magic you like the taste of best."
You did so, happily. Turns out, most of the 'metal-based' seasonings were the ones that tasted best to you. With 'venomous mercury' powder tasting best with its subtle yet complex flavours.
It was also during this testing that you had an… idea.
You realised that Myra, being a female and not meeting any of the 'do not use on' requirements Fortisax gave, and you hadn't really gotten any practice with the ways to 'sway a woman heart' that you had learnt…
So you decided to practice a bit on Myra.
Honestly? The redness she reached was more red than any other red you'd seen before. She also mumbled stuff about 'not expecting the reciprocation of this level' or something, but it was so low in volume that you couldn't make it out fully.
Still, practice was practice, even if it only got similar reactions every time, so you continued doing that even through cooking club.
You learnt how to cook something called a lasgna this time, a dish which was basically a bunch of meat, cheese, tomato, and pasta in layers, and your new seasonings made it taste great despite the lack of interesting ingredients.
Another notable thing, on top of learning how to cook a new dish, was that Myra turned a shade of red so vibrant you confused her with a tomato for a moment. Fortunately, you managed to turn what would've been a grab to crush a tomato into a cheek caress like what Fortisax described.
She looked less like a tomato after that, mostly because tomatoes aren't that red either.
"I swear, they're rubbing my singleness in my face… first my mom, and now this. What did I do to deserve this lady Lysha? Haven't I been a good person?" though, Mina didn't seem happy with your practice. Muttering away in the corner between giving instruction on how to continue cooking.
Though she did eat and give feedback on your dish this time, after confirming that you didn't add any metals or something, so that was great.
Turns out, your lasagne had a tad too much liquid.
Easily fixed with some focused breath usage.
[Mystic mind], [Death affinity boost], and [Repressed breakdown] folded into [Inherent understanding]
Inherent understanding (changes only)
(Plus)60 to learning magic
(Plus)40 to learning rolls if learning something you shouldn't be learning/are told not to learn by someone you have an SL with
(Plus)10 to learning rolls when learning by yourself
(Plus)10 to learning death magic rolls
Death spells get 3 extra points for spell creation
[Hardened mask[ folded into [Immutable aurum plate]
Immutable aurum plate (changes only)
Psionic effects attempted on you suffer magnified backlash
[Cooking] (Plus)2 Level's - (1/60)
Cooking [Master] [Passive] (1/60)
(Plus)81 to cooking rolls.
General quality of cooking greatly increased
Stuff you've cooked has a much better chance to have effects
Narratively, you are a decent-good cook at minimum
Reduces thresholds for food quality
It was when you left the academy, but before you had said your goodbye to Myra, that you were approached by the familiar woman garbed in white.
"Lord Votusax? Are you available right now?" she, Chloe if you remember right, asked you. Much to Myra's very audible confusion, with her looking rapidly between you and the new woman, "the lady Lysha wishes to speak to you about the previously discussed topics."
Well, if you went now you could also get onto doing that jobchanging thing you had to do so… yeah, sure. You have time.
You turn to Myra.
Does she want to come along with you to meet the Lysha lady you told her about?
"Bwuh?" Myra made a sound that was almost an ideal audible example of confusion as her head whipped between you and Chole, "bwuh?" this time the sound gave off the feeling of a question instead of confusion.
It took a moment for you to mentally translate it to her asking if you were asking her. To which you replied that, yes, you were indeed asking her.
"Uh, yes?" was her eventual, clearly unsure reply. before she continued with more conviction in her voice, "yes, I'd like to come with you to see the goddess Lysha. If that it alright with you?"
The last part was directed towards Chloe, who readily nodded, "of course lady Myra. You are also welcome to meet the goddess," she turned to you again, holding out her hand and presenting a chunk of glowing white metal, "and here, a gift for you lord Votusax. As a token of gratitude for accepting this invitation."
You obviously accepted the offering, immediately beginning to snack on it as you happily followed the woman down the familiar route. Dragging Myra with you so you could get there quicker.
[Luxite mutation: 2/7]
Safe to say, it didn't take long before you arrived at that decorated building, with a rather unfortunate bird theme, and entered it.
Though you noted that, this time, you didn't enter the same room as you did yesterday. Instead you were guided to another room, equally as white as the other one, with an orb at the very front and a golden circle in front of it.
"Please step in the circle when you are ready to speak with lady Lysha, and only then as there is a time limit to the transmission," Chloe explained as she placed her hand on the clear orb, causing it to be slowly filled with golden light till it was like a solid mass of gold, "I shall wait outside for you to be done."
With that, you were left in the room with only Myra.
Thus, after looking at her and getting a nod of readiness from her, you did the only thing available in the room. The pair of you stepped into the circle, admittedly with far more enthusiasm on your part.
… your appetite may have been roused thanks to the tasty chunk of metal.
But aside from that, you didn't end up where you expected to once you stepped into the circle. It wasn't a castle, forest, or anything coherent really.
Instead, you appeared in a strange room filled with sectioned-off areas with a couple of chairs and a large window that took up a whole wall. Looking out the aforementioned window only showed a blurry mesh of colours that gave no hint as to what was outside. Though blocks of different colours slowly went past occasionally.
"…a cafe?" Myra, at least, seemed to recognise the place, "what is… how is this… why is this here?"
"Over here!" a familiar voice called, turning towards it showing a pale human-like hand extending from one of the wooden partitions and waving back and forth, "This booth has the best atmosphere!"
This time, it was Myra who rushed forward, though you weren't far behind, as she approached the booth that Lysha was apparently in.
"Hello there, I see you decided to take my invitation," she greeted you with a polite smile, before turning to Myra with her smile getting a fraction wider, her body almost vibrating in the seat. If you had to label it, you'd call her current state one of giddiness, "and Myra! It's so good to see you. I've been waiting for just the right time to call you, but now's good too."
Silence as Myra just seemed to be taken aback.
"Very efficient as well, getting two meetings for the causality cost of one. Heh," Lysha chuckled ar her own words, as if laughing at a joke, "sounded like a salesman there for a moment."
Myra… seemed to want to say something, but looked like she was struggling with the words. Until eventually she took a deep breath and spoke up.
"Greetings, Lady Lysha. Goddess of huma-"
"You don't need to do that, just call me Lysha… like this guy does," that last part was said with her gesturing towards you, "and why are you standing around? Sit, sit. Some drinks and food will be here in a minute."
Myra doesn't take the offered seat immediately, whereas you… have already sat down. You'd sat down at the mention of something to eat.
"C'mon, I'm not gonna bite. Just take a seat," this time, Myra slowly took the seat that Lysha gestured to. Still looking unsure, with her eyes rapidly darting back and forth.
It was silent, at least until food was put onto the table by a blurry human-looking figure—a plate of metal shards placed in front of you. After that you were a tad too busy savouring the taste to notice if the silence continued as is.
[Luxite 3/7]
"-so you've been getting closer to Votusax here?" At least until your name was mentioned by Lysha, at which point you finally began paying attention to the table again, "and since he's going to be doing certain jobs for me in exchange for some other stuff, I wouldn't mind you becoming my champion. After all, you are contracted to him."
"I… yes? Of course, I'd love that!" Myra confirmed rapidly after a moment of confusion. Then she was bathed in golden light.
When it finally died down, Myra was sitting there. Lightly glowing gold.
Lysha herself was just looking at Myra, watching her marvel at her hands, with a smile. Before clapping once and turning towards you, "now with that done, let's get onto why I called for you specifically Votusax."
You think about it… for all of a moment. It probably had to do with those tasks of varying difficulties she talked about before.
"Yep, bingo," she nodded happily, pointing two fingers from each hand at you with thumbs raised and doing a rocking motion…
She was acting strangely unlike how she had the last time you'd seen her.
"Well, I am rather excited, and it's not like I have much of an image left to maintain with you," she explained to your unasked question, "but anyways, onto the jobs I wanted you to do and their rewards…
Fix up a… "sabotaged" town in the Chedel kingdom
Objectives:
- Get the town up and running with at least a population of 1000 people again. (town location marked if accepted)
- Remove the poisonous monsters in the nearby hunting ground and let more normal, weaker, monsters replace them. (Hunting ground location marked if accepted)
- Replace the church symbol that was eaten by "someone"
Rewards:
- Luxite (3 mutation progress worth)
- Access to miracle system (3 causality or 1 "miracle" per day)
"Humble" a certain nobleman
Objectives:
- Wear a disguise in your human form and enter a tournament (specific disguise can be provided)
-Details: Tournament is 1 action across two days (both on the third action) starting on day 65
- Face a certain nobleman (more info given on acceptance) during that tournament and… humble him
- Make sure his confidence in his power is completely gone by the end
- Don't kill or permanently maim him, please.
Optional objective:
- Kick him in the balls three times, more would be appreciated but not rewarded
Rewards:
- Custom class (make a request and Lysha will stitch together a bunch of active skills to make a class of your choice
- Memory crystal on creation skill which you probably(?) have (memory crystal from Lysha that'll give experience to creation ability when trained with)
Bonus reward:
Luxion (next level above luxite) (1 mutation progress worth)
Retrieve a specific… valuable object
Objectives:
- Retrieve object without damaging it (location marked)
- Return and sacrifice shiny ro object to Lysha (1 time sacrifice apparatus provided)
- Don't let Chloe find out about this entire… transaction
Rewards:
Luxion (2 mutation progress worth)
Luxite (2 mutation progress worth)
"- so as long as it get to me without Chloe ever knowing about it I'll give you that. Alright?"
You nod with conviction, seeing Myra just covering her face with her hands.
"Excellent," Lysha smiles, her fingers steepled in front of her as she chuckles in a strangely… squawking way, "it's all coming together now."
"Uh, that's great lady L- Lysha," Myra, after spending all the conversation just listening to the two of you talk, speaks up, interrupting Lysha's squawking laugh, "but I just wanted to ask one last thing before we go… where did you get the idea for this… locale?"
Her question is punctuated by her gesturing to the surrounding you found yourself in.
"Oh, do you mean the cafe?" the return question causes Myra to freeze.
"Yes. That."
Lysha's smile get wider than it had throughout the whole conversation, to the point where it looks slightly strange on a human face, "well… I think you'd know where I may have gotten the inspiration from… isn't that right Mari?"
The exact instance in which Lysha said the final words was when the room was consumed in white light.
When the light fades you're back in the room with the, now no longer golden, orb with new information settling into your mind… and Myra is standing entirely stiff. Her aura indecipherable with how rapidly it was shifting and flashing with colours of all kinds.
"Well… I'm gonna just wipe that last part from my memory."
What's she talking about?
"What are you talking about? I haven't said anything."
…but she just di-
"I. Have. Not. Said. Anything."
