“Did you see how she did it?” Chad quietly asked Parish as he looked back and forth between the headless body of the Gilabear and Sam’s slumped form on Lupie’s back. Lupie slowly walked over to the rest of the event group, joining them as they walked toward the cave.
“I didn’t see what she did, but it looks to have nearly killed her,” Parish responded to Chad while walking next to Hanna.
Hanna was carrying Brenda in her arms while Parish was trying her best to stop the bleeding coming from Brenda’s severed stumps. The berserker had pushed Parish out of the way just in time to prevent her from being bitten in half by the Spinebeast but had lost both arms for her effort. Ella was wrapping a healing bandage around one of Brenda’s stumps to seal off the wound. The bandages made it harder to regrow lost appendages because they sealed the injury. Still, they were necessary in some cases to save someone's life.
Nara was carrying Nina and healing the severely burned woman. Nina wasn’t fully submerged under the water when Sam’s mana crystals exploded, and her upper body and head were severely burned because of it. When Lupie caught up to the group, she scooped Nara and Nina up and wrapped them in a blood cocoon on her back behind Sam. Dozens of thick streams of blood were being sucked into the Bloodmorph from the hundreds of defeated foes scattered around the battlefield, quickly compensating for the amount of healing she was doing for both Sam and Nina.
They all stopped outside the cave entrance, which was still blocked off. “Hmm, that’s strange,” Chad mumbled, looking at the collapsed cave entrance, “surely Marin received the notification. He should have cleared the entrance by now.” His look of concern lifted from his face, and a sigh of relief escaped his lips when the stone and earth at the entrance started shifting, an exit tunnel forming.
Chad’s relief evaporated a moment later when Arron marched Marin out of the cave, holding a metal spike to Marin’s ear. Pulling his sword free of its scabbard, Chad shouted at Arron, “What do you think you are doing, Arron? Unhand him now, you bastard!”
“Why? So, you can put me in prison? I think I’ll take my chances on the run.” Arron snapped back at Chad. “Now, don’t anyone make any sudden moves. You all know I’m a metal mage, and ain’t none of you fast enough to stop me from ramming this spike into this kid’s brain. So, unless you want one more body to take home, I suggest you just stand aside and let us leave.” Arron was out of the cave now and side-stepping away from the group, keeping the cliff at his back and Marin in front of him. After a few meters, he shouted toward the cave, “Alina, get your ass out here! And bring the bags! We’re gettin’ out of here.”
A few moments later, Alina’s injured form exited the cave, struggling with two backpacks Arron had stolen from the injured fighters in the cave. She froze when Lupie let out a low growl and, looking at the giant creature, whispered, “I’m sorry.” Then she went to stand behind her father with her head down.
“He’s going to kill me when they’re far enough away,” Marin told Chad, “I think he might have already killed Sarah when she tried to stop him from robbing us!”
“Shut it, you little shit!” Arron gripped Marin tighter, continuing to step away, dragging the young man.
At those words, Parish, who had stopped Brenda’s bleeding by now, dashed into the cave, ignoring the event happening outside. She called out a second later, “Nara, I need you in here now! Anyone with a healing potion left, give it to Nara!”
“Nara slid off Lupie’s back, but before she could take a step, Arron said, “Don’t you move a muscle, girl! You’re coming with us too!”
“Father, enough!” Alina finally spoke up, “Can’t you see this is pointless!”
“You stupid bitch,” Arron snapped at his daughter, “you ain’t so stupid as to think the church only sent one crew out to capture a freaking Moonblight? Just look at what they released into the forest!” As he spoke, Spittle was flying from Arron’s mouth, a look of greed and desperation filling his eyes. “I bet we only need to get out of sight of these fools before another crew picks us up. With the event rewards and the church off our backs, we can start a new life anywhere in the kingdoms!”
Alina flinched at Arron’s words, then looking from her father to the others, her eyes welled up with tears. Her body glowed with a skill activation. Before anyone could say or do anything, she unsheathed her dagger and buried the long, thin blade in Arron’s ear in one fluid motion.
The metal spike Arron was holding to Marin’s head fell from his limp hands as Alina guided her father’s lifeless body to the ground. She sat on the ground with him, cradling his head on her lap, and wept in great heaving sobs. No one moved to comfort her, though. Marin jumped away as soon as he was free, and Chad moved to put himself between the mage and the weeping woman. Nara dashed into the cave, pulling out a health potion as she ran.
The scene in the cave was pure carnage. Arron had indeed robbed the injured event participants, but he had also made sure none of them would be able to fight or follow him. Every person in the cave had at least one metal spike, pinning them to the ground. Sarah had the worst of it, with dozens of small metal spears stabbed into her body and two steel needles pinning her eyes closed. Nara called out for Lupie to help heal the injured, then went to work using the healing spell Parish had given her, starting with the most severely wounded. It wasn’t long before Marin had the tunnel opened more, allowing Lupie’s massive form to squeeze in and start assisting with healing the injured. Chad was the only one who stayed outside, not letting his guard down as he watched Alina.
***
“Everyone, make your System purchases as soon as you recover fully and have the option,” Chad called out when Ella came out of the cave to relieve him from watching over Alina so he could make his own purchases.
Most of the wounded participants were almost fully recovered except for Sarah, Nina, and Sam, so Nara sat back, leaning against Lupie’s side, confident that she had done all she could. She was almost out of mana and had exhausted most of the mana crystals Sam had left, so the only thing left for her to do was choose her System rewards. “Lupie, have you chosen your rewards yet?” Nara asked, resting her hand on her friend's side and giving her a light scratch.
“Yes, I have chosen my rewards, Nara. I will protect you if you would like to do so for yourself now,” Lupie replied into Nara’s mind.
Getting comfortable, Nara closed her eyes and opened her event window.
'Bing' Congratulations! Your party has completed the System-curated event: Cull the Herd.
Actual Completion Percentage: 100% (Success requirement 85%)
Starting Participants: 25.
Ending Participants: 20.
Average Level of Participants: 42. (5 Levels below recommended event level.)
Time Taken for Mission Completion: 1:27:36. (Time allotted 1:30:00.)
Calculating Rewards based on individual performance…
Personal performance reward(s):
1.67 x Experience gained.
100% Completion group reward(s):
One-time access to the system shop network for two purchases. Note: Purchases must be made within 10 minutes of the user's full recovery.
Would you like to make your purchases now? Y/N
Choosing ‘Yes,’ Nara was brought to an unfamiliar System screen.
System Credit value calculated from your event participation: 88600 x 1.67 = 147,926 x 2 = 295,924 SC. Would you like to view all available items in the System Store or choose 2 out of 5 System curated items? Note: With your current funds, 3.7 billion items in the system shop are available to you. Please select an option: Self Search/System Recommended.
Nara had no idea what to do, so she asked Lupie what she had done.
“I chose two of the recommended items,” Lupie said calmly. She didn’t elaborate on why, which didn’t help Nara out much.
Nara checked for how much time she had left, and when she couldn’t find a timer, she decided to not risk searching through billions of selections. Even though she suspected she could use her interface to filter the options quickly, she still wasn’t sure, so she chose ‘System Recommended,’ and a list popped up in her vision. Starting from the top, she read each item and its description carefully.
Legendary Bow of Talus [Growth] 1 of 1
Classification: Ranged Weapon
Quality: Legendary; Soulbound
Magical: Yes
Enchantments: Self Repair
Abilities: True Shot; Fire Arrow; Ice Arrow
A bow crafted by a master bowyer for the great hero Talus to assist him in slaying the fire dragon Auromond. The archer failed to defeat the dragon, and his bow was lost to time until a lucky scavenger happened upon it many millennia later. After returning to his city, the scavenger immediately sold the item to the System Store. This bow will grow in power along with its user as a growth item.
“Wow, a weapon with opposing elements? I’ve heard of those but never thought I would see one for myself, and it's a growth item, so it will be with me at least until I evolve,” Nara thought. She liked the idea of owning a growth item. Still, she was worried that since this bow was from a different planet, with a System shop network that she would likely never visit, she might be unable to find the resources needed to evolve it. Of course, her evolution was probably many cycles out, and the bow would likely be a close companion to her throughout her time in E grade. With those thoughts, Nara moved on to the next item.
Orb of Blight’s Bane:
Classification: Item
Magical: Yes
Uses: 1/1
An orb created by a Teldarian master runesmith when his world was overrun by blight parasites. In a final attempt to free his race, he made this orb using his knowledge of soul runes. Once activated, the Blight’s Bane will form a second layer over the user’s soul core that blight parasites cannot penetrate. Once the second layer has been formed, it will sever the soul link between the blight and its host, instantly killing the blight and the user. The final rune on the orb will then activate, and the user will be resurrected with 10% of their health recovered, and their mana channels will be linked through their new core sleeve.
Nara stopped reading and looked down at her shaking hands. “I could free myself of this curse,” she instantly felt guilty. Only a few short weeks ago, she would have selected the orb without hesitation and killed Naris without a second thought, but now, “I don’t think I could kill him now. He’s just as much a part of me as I am him.”
“I will not stop you from using the orb, Nara,” Naris’s voice echoed in her mind.
Nara shook her head, “No, no, I won’t. It is not how I want to be freed from you. Either we will both be free, or neither of us will.” Naris said nothing more, so Nara went back to the item selection.
Battle Cloak of the Sorceress [Growth] 1 of 1
Classification: Outer Garment
Quality: Legendary; Soulbound
Magical: Yes
Enchantments: Self Repair; Shield Rune 5/5
Increase in spell potency: 33%
Made by a master seamstress using Manaweave cloth. When worn, this cloak will bring the wearer more in tune with the surrounding mana, giving every spell the wearer casts a 33% increase in potency. The cloak also has five shield rune enchantments that, when activated, wrap the wearer in an impervious magical shield for three seconds. The runes can be recharged by any competent runesmith. This is a growth item and will grow in strength with its owner.
Nara liked the cloak for its self-repair ability and the five shield runes. The increase in magical potency was also a huge bonus; if she had that increase during the event, everyone would have already fully recovered, and her and Naris’s magic and void bolts would have packed much more of a punch. “Maybe the cloak and bow combination? Those two items together would increase my overall power and defense and boost Naris’s magic, too.” Nara mused before moving on to the second to last item.
Orb of the Blight:
Classification: Item
Magical: Yes
Uses: 1/1
An orb created by a blight king when his world was invaded by Teldarian forces. In a final attempt to save his race, he made this orb using his knowledge of the soul. Once activated, the Orb will force the host’s soul into its core and form a second layer over it, trapping its soul inside. Once the second layer has been formed, it will sever the soul link between the blight and its host, instantly killing them both. The final rune on the orb will then activate, the blight will be resurrected with 10% of their health recovered, and their mana channels will be linked through their new core sleeve, permanently giving them complete control of the host’s body.
“No,” Naris said before Nara could even think about what she had read, “do not even think about it.”
“Do not worry, Naris. I am not suicidal, nor am I murderous. I do not believe either of the orbs is what we want. But it is encouraging to know there may be a solution to our situation out there somewhere in the multiverse,” Nara replied. She was telling the truth; she didn’t want to gain freedom at Naris’s expense. She felt strange now that she knew the separation of blight and host was a possibility. Separating herself from Naris had never been an option until now, and Nara didn’t know how she felt about that. Shaking her head, she quickly read the final item.
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Blightclone:
Classification: Spell
Magic type: Neutral; Life; Space
Mana cost: Extreme
Uses: 1 every 168 hours.
Duration: Until the clone is destroyed or runs out of mana.
Blightclone is a unique System-created spell for all blight-stricken creatures. Upon their request, the spell was created as a gift for the first Godblight and her host when they ascended to godhood together. This spell allows the host to create a perfect clone of their body, transferring their blight parasite to the clone's body. It establishes a subspace mana link between the two bodies that cannot be severed by any creature below the god tier. As long as the host and clone have enough mana, the blight parasite can freely use the clone's body as if it were its own. Note: this spell is not in scroll form. It cannot be sold, transferred, or copied. Blightclone is only available as a System reward for blights and their hosts that meet the criteria specified by the first Godblight. Upon selection, the spell will be etched onto the soul core of the host.
“Well, that makes it easy, I guess,” Nara thought to Naris.
“Indeed it does,” he responded. Continuing, he said, “Hear me out though. What if you were to get both the spell and the Blight’s Bane Orb—”
“Not a chance! It is way too risky, and I am almost certain it will not work. Think about it, Naris, if the first godblight knew it was possible, wouldn’t she have just asked for a separation spell?” Nara said, cutting him off.
“I only mention it because I want us to be,” Naris paused for a second and finished his thought, “Friends.”
“We are friends, Naris,” Nara said slowly after searching herself for the truth. She was a little surprised that she had so quickly gone from hating Naris to considering him a friend. Although she wasn’t sure she fully trusted him, Nara no longer felt animosity toward him as she had before. It felt freeing in a way she truly loved.
With a thought, Nara chose the Battle Cloak of the Sorceress and the Blightclone spell. She received the confirmation message a moment later.
‘Bing’ Thank you for your selection. Please check your inventory for your item. Stand by for the spell etching procedure.
“Spell etching? Oh yeah, for the spell,” Nara thought, then a searing hot pain in her chest made her arch her back. Gritting her teeth, she fought through the mind-numbing pain. She could hear Naris screaming in her mind, obviously feeling the System etching the spell into his soul also.
The pain only lasted briefly but still left Nara panting when it was over. Finally able to think straight, Nara checked her inventory, and sure enough, the cloak was there. Summoning it from her inventory, Nara admired the smooth and velvety cloak as she ran it through her fingers. It was hooded with a dark grey outside, almost black, and a dark blue inlay that matched her eyes. “It is exquisite,” Nara whispered, sliding the cloak over her shoulders and fastening the clasp. Power flowed through her body the instant the clasp was secured, and her mind was immediately given the knowledge of how to activate the cloak’s runes. She checked the notifications still flashing in the corner of her vision.
‘Bing’ Calculated experience has been transferred.
‘Bing’ All enemies have been automatically looted, and the loot has been distributed among participants as per their contribution level. Check your storage for your items.
What followed was a surprisingly long list of hides, monster cores, teeth, claws, blood vials, saliva vials, and meat. Nara skimmed the list, noting she had even received some Gilabear and Spinebeast meat. Next came her level-ups. Nara leaned back into Lupie, smiling, “Talk about power leveling!”
***
Sam wiggled her fingers, feeling them flex against the warm cocoon of blood still enveloping her. She had dismissed her tattered clothes and armor into her inventory to give the healing blood better access to her body. “I thought the tickling would never stop!” She mused to herself, wiggling the toes on her new foot to make sure they all functioned. Thinking back to her final attack against the Gilabear, Sam could only chuckle to herself, mumbling, “I’m like a nuclear cockroach.”
“What is a cockroach?” Nara asked from where she was leaning against Lupie’s side.
“I’ll tell you later,” Sam said, checking on Nina with a mana thread and her mana repair skill. She sighed in relief when her skill told her the girl’s condition; the archer would be okay. Sam told Nara, “Nina has about five or ten minutes before she is fully healed. I will choose my rewards now if you’re finished with your purchases.”
“Lupie and I are both finished with ours and just so you know, each of us chose the curated option. You’ll understand when you select your system rewards.” Nara told Sam.
Figuring she was about to find out what Nara meant, Sam didn’t question her statement. Instead, she opened her notifications, skipping past the event completion notification she had already read. Instead, she went straight to her purchase options.
Would you like to make your purchases now? Y/N
Sam selected ‘Yes’ and read the following message.
System Credit value calculated from your event participation: 296,743 x 1.93 = 572,714 x 2 = 1,145,428 SC. Would you like to view all available items in the System Store or choose 2 out of 5 System curated items? Note: With your current funds, 27.9 billion items in the system shop are available to you. Please select an option: Self Search/System Recommended.
“Oh,” Sam mumbled, understanding what Nara meant now. Sam’s inner curiosity wanted her to select the self-search option for no reason other than to better understand just how much variety the multiverse had to offer. “Damn, I really want to self-search, but I just don’t have the freaking time if there isn’t a filter option. Fuck me, I am so curious about what’s out there!” Sam reined in her thoughts and refocused on the options logically. Self-search would be a no-brainer if she was familiar with how the System Shop worked and had a good idea of what to search for. The event had surprised Sam, and she honestly hadn’t thought about what she would buy with her purchase from the shop. Now that she could make two purchases, it made it doubly hard to justify searching herself. Sam knew she planned to get off this planet at some point, and if she did, she would have ample time to find a world or area of the verse that could support a System shop network. So, with a sigh, she selected ‘System Recommended,’ the first thing she noticed when the list popped up was that none of the options presented had a price tag on any of them, so she wouldn’t know which ones were more valuable. She was pleased with that; it meant her selection would be based on need and not price. She hoped none of the choices would be duds, but she didn’t think the System would do something like that. Sam got to reading.
Bracelets of Sorcery [Growth] 2 of 2
Classification: Jewelry
Quality: Mystic; Soulbound
Magical: Yes
Enchantments: Immortal
These bracelets were made by an Orcish master crafter for his Elven lover from the magical core of a dead star. When worn, the Bracelets of Sorcery link with the user’s mana channels permanently and cannot be destroyed by any entity below the fifth tier of godhood. Once linked, the bracelets will give the user a 50% boost in magical power and reduce the cost of manipulating mana by 25%. Note: once the bracelets are worn, they will be Soulbound to the user and cannot be removed until death. They can be displayed as jewelry or absorbed into the user’s body. Other bracelets or armor may be worn over these items.
“Um, not yeah, but hell yeah!” Sam thought, struggling not to immediately select the fantastic bracelets. Somehow, she stopped herself from impulse buying the magical bracelets and moved on to the next line item.
Mitralite Spatial Cabin [Level NA]
Classification: Shelter
Quality: Epic
Magical: Yes
Functions: Portable Safe Zone
Max Occupants: 25
This mass-produced shelter is used extensively by the Mitralite Adventurers Guild. It is a standard gift for every member when they reach level 200. The shelter is a portable safe zone and can defend against most attacks E-grade and below. What sets this shelter apart is its ability to be placed in any storage device, summoned, and used in battle. The cabin comes stocked with a full pantry that can be replenished magically, a full-service kitchen, a great room with a magical firepit, 24 bedrooms (each with a full bath), and an owner's suite.
Sam felt a tingle go down her spine when she read the description. She didn’t even realize she was speaking out loud when she said, “Oh, I definitely need this in my life!”
“Be sure to check them all before purchasing one, Sam,” Nara’s voice interrupted.
“I know, I know,” Sam grumbled, then checked the next item.
Hyperlite Mana Core [Level Unknown]
Classification: Powerplant
Quality: Perfect Condition [New]
Magical: Yes
Functions: Power any mana engine up to low E-grade before experiencing stress degradation.
Supported Abilities: Sub-light boost; Space-fold (short-hop only); Void-jump (97.46% success chance)
Maximum Main Booster Nodes: 2
Maximum Retro Booster Nodes: 1
Maximum Positioning Booster Nodes: 32
Maximum Small Weapon Nodes: 4
Maximum Medium Weapon Nodes: 2
Maximum Large Weapon Nodes: 1
Maximum Shiel Power Supported: 100,000mu (without user reinforcement)
This is a one-of-a-kind mana core first produced by the Hyperlite Manufacturing Consortium nearly 15 thousand cycles ago. Unfortunately for Hyperlite, the estimated Void-jump survivability percentage was much lower than they advertised coming in at an actual 12.29% success rate. Although all other aspects of the Mana Core exceeded others of its time, the poor performance of the heavily advertised Void-jump capability eventually led to the company's demise. Even though they ultimately did correct the issue with the Void-jump node, it was too late as many of their competitors had already reverse-engineered and solved the problem.
“Um, Nara, what use would I have with a Hyperlite Mana Core?” Sam asked, confused as to why the System thought it would be a good idea for her to have the powerplant for what she assumed would be a space-faring vessel when she most certainly did not have said vessel in her possession, nor did she have the first clue as to where to get one.
“I do not know what that is,” Nara responded helpfully.
Sam responded, “It’s a power source for a spaceship. Do you know if I can buy one around here?”
“I—wait, are you serious?” Nara stood and looked at Sam. Realizing Sam was indeed serious, Nara scrunched her brow in thought for a moment before saying, “The only faction I am aware of on this planet with the ability to freely travel between worlds and solar systems is the Church of the Light. But they have destroyed all their transport vessels, turning them into temples. It is the way of their faction; they send an expeditionary force in small five-vessel fleets to the fringes of space, and once they find a suitable planet or solar system, they set up a location beacon for their main force to track. From the conversations I overheard when I was sent to work in the temples, I don’t think they expect reinforcements for at least another four hundred cycles or more.”
“So, there’s no way one or two smaller craft survived?” Sam asked.
Nara shrugged, “of course, there is always a chance, but the church has been here for hundreds of cycles, and their entire ideology relies on them having no escape, so they are forced to convert as many as possible because the leaders of the expedition are either rewarded or punished depending on their results once the main force arrives. I doubt any of the original fanatics would have left themselves an escape vessel, and even if they did, they would probably have already used it.”
“Well, that isn’t helpful,” Sam mumbled to herself. Not sure if she should hold out hope that there might be a spaceship on this planet compatible with the core the System was offering her, Sam sighed, thinking, “Would the System offer me something I couldn’t use, though?” Reluctantly, Sam moved on to the fourth item.
Reincarnation
Classification: Ability
Magic type: Arcane
Mana cost: Variable
Uses: 1 every 30 days
Activation Time: Instant
Reincarnation is a unique System-created spell for all users who have met specific criteria. Upon his request, the ability was created as a gift for the first healer class when he ascended to godhood, modifying a personal power he had created. By quarantining a user-defined amount of mana from their available energy, the ability will use the quarantined energy to reassemble the user's body should it be damaged mortally by any single attack. For example, suppose the user decides to quarantine 10% of their mana for the Reincarnation ability to use, and their body is vaporized. In that case, the ability will reassemble their physical form completely with 10% health remaining in their pool. This ability does not use life energy but instead pure reality (Arcane energy) to ensure there can be no possible failure. Warning: The ability can be used, and the percentage of mana quarantined by the ability can only be adjusted once every 30 days.
“Survive being vaporized once a month? It would be like walking around with a 1-up token in my pocket.” Sam liked this ability a lot, but the more she read the description, the more drawbacks she could think of. “I would wind up having to nerf myself on mana just on the off chance a single attack might kill me. Does that mean one attack hits me, and I bleed out? How would it work if I was decapitated? Would my head reattach or grow back? If I’m vaporized, and the attack is still ongoing, like if a dragon was breathing fire, will the ability activate before the attack is completed, and I just wind up getting vaporized again?” The more Sam thought about it, the less she liked the ability. Finally, concluding, “I don’t know if I would fight like my life depended on it if it actually didn’t. This ability wouldn’t just nerf my mana but also my survival instinct. I think I’m going to have to pass on this one.” She moved on to the final option.
Technomancer
Classification: Rare Class
Affinity: Technology
Technomancer is a rare class across the multiverse. It usually appears as an option once a planet has evolved past F-grade and a system shop can be accessed and, with it, new magical technology. As a Technomancer, you will be able to link your mind with magical technology to assess, control, and repair it. Warning: This option will remove your current class and any related abilities, skills, and spells incompatible with the Technomancer class.
Sam was worried, “Is the System giving me an out? First, the mana core and then the class, which I assume will be used to control the core? Can I repair any crashed ships with the Technomancer class and then add the core so I can get off this planet? Sam thought back to everything she knew about this world. Something was tickling the back of her mind, something she thought was really important but couldn’t quite remember…finally when she was unable to bring the thought to the forefront, she asked Nara a question, “Nara, have you ever met someone with a Technomancer class?”
“Yes,” Nara responded, looking at Sam quizzically, “the church uses them to operate their technology. They are very rare, though; I think there are less than one hundred Technomancers on Hallista.”
“Are they powerful?” Sam asked.
“I don’t know,” Nara responded, “I’ve never seen any of them fight. But I know they are on the same level of respect as a high priest, even those who refuse to accept the church’s doctrine.”
Sam thought about that briefly before asking, “So, there is a faction of non-believers in the church? How does that work?”
“I’m not sure, but I think the Technomancers are like contractors for the church. They bring them from place to place, maintain their technology, and do not suffer the consequences of failure the believers do. Although some are church members for the free resurrection, not all are.”
Sam took it all in, trying to think fast; she knew there wasn’t much time left to choose her rewards. “So, not all organizations in the church are full members. There is a chance I could find a Technomancer and force them to fix a ship for me…no, not force, maybe pay? Shit, I don’t know, ask nicely?” That’s when Sam remembered what had been bugging her! “Alexander’s ancient ship!” she blurted out loud, causing everyone in the cave to stare at her. Looking sheepish, Sam turned back to her thoughts, “He knows where that ancient dungeon is. He said it was once an old spacefaring vessel that the church controls. If I can get in there somehow, I might find a clue to getting off this world!” she furrowed her brow, “I still need to be powerful enough to fight though, and starting over with a new class based on technology I do not have access to is not how to do that.” Sam sighed. She knew choosing the mana core and the Technomancer class was probably the fastest option to get her off the planet. Still, she wasn’t confident she could survive independently with that class. Nor did the description say what abilities she would be allowed to keep if she did change classes. Her mind was made up, and Sam made her choices, hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
‘Bing’ Thank you for your selection. Please check your inventory for your items.
Before Sam could check her inventory, another message popped up.
‘Bing’ Calculated experience has been transferred.
‘Bing’ All enemies have been automatically looted, and the loot has been distributed among participants as per their contribution level. Check your storage for your items.
When no other forced messages appeared, and only level-up notifications were flashing in the corner of her vision, Sam quickly checked her items. The first thing she looked for was the Bracelets of Sorcery. Finding the two black and silver bracelets, she promptly summoned them from her inventory. Slipping them on, Sam marveled as the solid bands changed their shape to fit over her hands before shrinking back down to fit snugly around her wrists. A feeling of power washed over Sam the instant the bracelets finished sizing themselves, and she shuddered at the sudden influx of energy.
Sam wasn’t the only one who felt her power increase; Lupie shifted under her as Sam’s hair stood on end, and minute magical discharges sparked between her fingers from the raw power of the increased mana flow running through her channels. It felt to Sam as though she had been moving her mana through mud up until now. Even though she had crystal mana channels, which were likely the highest grade achievable, the new power provided by the bracelets made it feel like she hadn’t even scratched the surface of her magical strength.
Sam didn’t know what to do with the extra energy. She had been subconsciously meditating and channeling mana through her body as she looked through her reward options. Now, she was practically buzzing with excess magical power in an enclosed space with other people. Worse yet, she had no idea how to discharge it safely! Parish gasped from where she was crouched over Brenda. The healer managed to squeak out, “Sam, use your healing! Get rid of the energy!”
Heeding Parish’s advice, Sam touched every injured person in the cave with a mana thread and activated mana repair! She even stabbed one into Nara and started pumping mana into the Moonblight. The excess mana started dissipating but nowhere near as fast as she had hoped. “what the hell is going on? My mana pool should be fully depleted already! How am I able to do all of this and still maintain with—shit Meditation is active!” Sam quickly canceled meditation and finally felt the drain on her energy reserves.
Sam felt comfortable enough with her energy levels three minutes later to stop pumping mana into Nara. She had already had to stop healing everyone, not because of her energy levels but because they were all fully healed, and her skill had stopped working. Not confident Sam would dissipate her energy in time, Parish quickly ushered everyone out of the cave as soon as they could walk on their own. Thankfully, Parish’s fears were unfounded, and Sam managed to get a handle on her magic before something terrible happened.
Nara sucked in a deep, shaky breath when Sam stopped channeling mana into her. “Fuck Sam! What kind of choices did you get?!” Nara asked incredulously. She held her head in her hands, saying, “It felt like my head was going to explode right after my soul collapsed!”