Glade looked around the grotto with satisfaction. After the latest round of surprises from Riya’s updated quest and Kedryn’s inadvertent involvement, he had needed a break. Not that his two companions gave him one.
They had sat up for hours, picking apart the details of the quest from every conceivable angle and how it could be interpreted. Glade mostly listened in for the first hour or so. After that, the discussion devolved into nothing more than hypothetical conjecture. Instead of joining in, he focused on growing his magic.
Brightly glowing mushrooms lit up the dark room like bulbs of azure starlight amidst a sea of darkness. There were only about 20 or so mushrooms he had been able to change due to the 10-minute cool down and the long mana regeneration times, but he still looked at the cluster of bright lights with pride.
There were still dozens, possibly hundreds, of the dimly glowing fungi scattered throughout the grotto, but that only meant he had more to play with later.
He smiled after reading up on his latest notifications.
Congratulations! Your skill level in Astral magic has advanced to level 3!
Congratulations! Your skill level in Meditation (Basic) has advanced to level 2! +1% to mana regeneration while in a meditative state.
While the mechanics of this world were still foreign to him, Glade couldn’t deny how helpful they were in tracking progress.
Both his companions had fallen asleep at some point, leaving the grotto blessedly quiet. Finally, he had the peace and quiet to process what the others had discussed.
According to Riya, the only way to gain the Protector title was through the direct support of a Royal Elf. And not just any Royal Elf, but one belonging to the ruling house. Which made little sense. Kedryn was born on earth, not Veil. No lineage existed to confirm he belonged to the royal house, which should equal the absence of authority.
But they weren’t in a universe that made sense. Meaning, Glade was now responsible for a teenage royal impersonator from earth that the magical system of Veil acknowledged as legitimate. And that person just happened to be his ADHD driven, gamer addict Corporal.
“I hate my life,” Glade sighed. Now he would have to pay even closer attention to Kedryn’s actions. Their only hope was to fly under the radar long enough to find his team and figure out a way off this rock.
Ignoring the fact that his plan had more holes in it than a swiss cheese canoe, Glade once again accessed his spell Mana Manipulation. The cool down had finally expired.
Over the last few hours, he had been alternating between casting and meditating, purposefully avoiding mana drain and that terrible headache. He had perfected his ability to pull the shadow mana out of mushrooms, creating stronger, healthier looking fungi.
Now it was time to try something different.
Flexing the unseen muscle that allowed him to access his mana pool, Glade stared in wonder as the world again exploded into color. The dark mist of shadow mana crept along the ground from the back of the room, like a plague one would see in those B rated horror movies. The dark mana infused everything it came into contact with, including the rocks and soil. Only the water remained untouched. That and his little sea of mushroom lights.
The mushrooms he had already changed glowed a vibrant blue and golden brown, repelling the dark mist like the sun melting away fog.
This time, instead of targeting the shadow within the mushroom, Glade pulled out the water mana, leaving shadow and earth behind. Instead of dimming like he had anticipated, the mushroom’s inner light disappeared entirely. The dark power surged, taking over the vacated space in an instant.
Light was replaced with wisps of dark vapor, rising from the mushroom like tendrils of smoke. What was even more surprising was the mist pulled ambient light from the surrounding area.
While a bit spooky, the change within the mushroom was still fascinating.
After the cool down expired, Glade accessed his magic and tried draining the earth mana. This time, the mushroom immediately collapsed into a pile of phosphorescent sludge.
Not exactly helpful, but interesting, nonetheless.
Not knowing what else to do, Glade began exercising between casts, sticking to creating the brighter mushrooms. The light was more beneficial, and likely much safer, than the smoking mushroom and glowing sludge.
He had just finished removing the shadow mana from another in a long line of mushrooms when Riya finally stirred.
“Good morning,” he said with a smile. “Hope you slept well.”
Riya nodded her reply as she yawned, stretching her arms out as far as they would go.
“I’d like to begin exploring our surroundings as soon as we’re ready. Hopefully, we’ll find a way out of the tunnels without running into any more beetles,” he said, glancing Kedryn’s way. “Just as soon as we wake sleeping beauty over there.”
As if to emphasize his point, Kedryn rolled over and began snoring.
Shaking his head, Glade went about gathering their things, kicking Kedryn as he passed. The kid stirred long enough to mutter something about umpa loompas before falling back to sleep.
Maybe it was better to just let him sleep.
After he had everything packed and ready to go, he pulled out some of the remaining beetle meat and tossed a piece to Riya.
Riya graciously accepted the food but continued staring at the now brightly glowing mushrooms with what he had come to think of as her intrigued look.
“How is this possible?” she asked, deftly picking a mushroom he had changed and one that was still infused with shadow, carefully examining the two.
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“Practiced my magic,” Glade said, grabbing a piece of meat for himself. It was even more rubbery and disgusting than the night before, but he choked it down anyway.
Looking back, he watched as Riya carried her prizes back to her spot next to the turtle.
In moments, the massive reptile stirred, its head finally peeking out of its shell. The beast was looking far better than it had the night before. The Fen Matriarch didn’t have a healthy look about it, but at least the skin was no longer flaking off. Even the greyish blue color of the exposed shell had deepened to a healthier hue.
Slowly, the Fen Matriarch reached out and gently took one of his changed mushrooms from Riya’s hand.
“Did you know that Fen Turtles are numbered amongst the famed Keepers?”
Upon seeing Glade’s confused look, Riya explained further.
“Keepers are natural guardians chosen by the Great Overseer to protect Veil’s wonders. I’ve never seen one before now. And quite honestly, I’m surprised to find a Fen Turtle underground at all. They mostly live in a forest or swamp.”
Glade settled down to listen, genuinely curious.
“All Keepers have special abilities that allow them to maintain balance within their respective domains. Some, like the Dawn Ape, can heal dying trees and plants, keeping them healthy and free of disease. There are several others like the Sand Wasps, Glacial Yeti, or Steppe Drakes that can be found in almost any climate, bringing balance to the land around them. Some scholars believed the Greater Phoenix was one of highest tiered Keepers before they were hunted to extinction. There is even rumor that some of the Greater Dragons originated from the keeper’s ranks. That fact is, Keepers are rare. It is considered a great blessing amongst the long lived to have even seen one, let alone help their kind.”
Riya patted the Matriarch’s head as it chewed.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why are they so rare?” Glade asked.
“The main reason is because they are hunted by most of the races. Keepers are highly dangerous, which makes them attractive as trophies for the rich and powerful. They are also steeped in mana, making their bodies ideal ingredients for alchemy or natural weapons and armor. But the real prize is their core. A Keeper’s core can be a powerful tool in propelling one’s attunements and overall strength.”
Glade arched his brow in surprise. Both Riya and Kedryn had gone crazy over finding the Magma Beetle’s mana shards. Just how much more valuable were cores?
“The other reason they are so rare is because of their diet. You see, Keepers can only eat foods that are properly balanced with the mana that matches their own attunements.”
“Is that the case for all monsters?” Glade asked, leaning forward.
“No. I’ve read theories on why their diets are restricted, but it's all just guess work if you ask me.”
Glade used his aura sight on the Fen Turtle.
Fen Turtle (Matriarch), Level 13
Attunements: Earth ?%, Water?%
Health: 153/210
Mana: 102/140
Stamina: 130/350
Status: Severely Malnourished
“That explains why the turtle is interested in the mushrooms,” Glade said. “They’re made up of the same mana the Matriarch is attuned to.”
“And the reason why they are so easy to hunt. A common tactic for hunters is to bait the Keepers into traps,” Riya said in disgust.
“It is especially rare to find a Fen Turtle Matriarch, as they are the only ones of their species that can give birth,” Riya continued, resting her head on the turtle’s shell. “This one is old, even by long lived standards, but she has been without proper nourishment for a long time. I’m not sure how you did it, but by removing the shadow taint from the mushrooms, you’ve created a food source for a Keeper. That is one of the reasons I felt inclined to accept your offer of protection. Anyone willing to care for one of the Keepers is someone I can put my trust in.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a notification appeared. Glade didn’t want to ignore Riya to read the prompt, but the elf had gone silent, stroking the turtle's shell.
Congratulations! You have discovered, and completed, a hidden quest! Protect the Keepers I. The Keepers are a hunted and dying breed throughout Veil, each one created to protect their habitats and maintain balance within the Overseer’s great work. These unsung heroes of Veil struggle daily for survival, constantly looking to improve the world around them. Will you help this Fen Turtle Matriarch (Low Tier Keeper)?
Yes/No
Success Conditions: Provide the Fen Turtle Matriarch with enough food to last 3 days.
Reward: 250 XP; +100 relationship points with Keepers.
Congratulations! Through your unwitting actions you have created enough food for a Fen Turtle Matriarch. Total amount of food provided: 9 days.
Reward: 250XP; +100 relationship points with Keepers.
Well, that was easy. He’d just completed his first quest. No sooner had Glade finished reading the prompt than another appeared.
You have been offered a quest: Protect the Keepers II. You have provided the Fen Turtle Matriarch with enough sustenance for 9 days, more than double the required amount. Because of your impressive and selfless act, you have been granted the next quest in this chain. Provide enough food for the Fen Turtle Matriarch so she can have the strength to lay her last clutch of eggs. Do you accept?
Yes/No
Success Conditions: Provide the Fen Turtle Matriarch with enough food to last an additional 90 days.
Reward: 500 XP; +200 relationship points with Keepers.
Not seeing a downside, he selected yes and moved on to the next prompt.
Congratulations! You are now level 3! Through hard work and sacrifice you have advanced along your path. Let the knowledge of who you are and what you stand for guide you throughout your journey.
As an Enlightened Human you gain 5 attribute points with an additional point auto allocated to the most used attribute.
Note: +1 to Wisdom.
Glade felt the same resonance run through him the last time he had gained a level and pulled up his status page to confirm the changes. Sure enough, his wisdom had gone up by one.
“Congratulations,” Riya’s said with a smile.
“How did you know I just leveled?” Glade asked.
“You just told me,” She replied with a laugh. “That and it was obvious you were reading a notification. Plus, the shudder was as obvious as a Molik on Crispin’s day. You should be proud. Anytime someone advances is a time to celebrate.”
“Cheers to me then,” Glade smiled and held up the water skin in a mock salute. “Thanks to that hidden quest, I’m now level 3. Of course, I'm still a far cry from your father. What did you say his level was again?”
Riya whipped her head so fast to face Glade, he thought he heard her neck crack.
“What quest?” She demanded, her amber eyes pinning him to the spot.
“It wasn’t anything of consequence, just a quest called Protect the Keepers I…,” Glade began.
“A chained quest?” Riya gasped.
“Maybe?” Glade responded. He was so tired of interpreting Kedryn’s ramblings all the time and had held out hope that his discussion's with Riya would be at least a little more at his level. He should have known better.
“I’m not sure what a chained quest is. Would you mind explaining it to me?”
“I can help with that!” Kedryn called, his exuberant voice filling the grotto.
Glade closed his eyes and prayed for patience. He should have known the Kid would somehow find a way to be the one to volunteer an answer.
“Glad to see you’re finally awake,” Glade grumbled. “Honestly, Riya and I were just passing time until you woke up. But now that you’re awake, we can head out.”
“Oh, ok. But don’t you think it would be better to learn about quests?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes, I do. But let's discuss it while we’re on the move, ok?”
Both readily agreed and got ready in moments.