The Fey and the Spiders got along surprisingly well. They helped the Warriors begin tunneling back to the Burrows with their Golem Lizards. I wanted to investigate the odd doorway the Elder Golem Lizard, or the Pink Fey, was guarding but realized I was woefully unprepared. I upgraded my Magic Wand into an Ancient Wand using my Crafting Skill, but I will have to wait in order for my Spellpages to recharge. Whenever I tried to cast a spell, a headache would strike me and Wisdom would scold me with her Interventions.

So, I was bored yet again in a cavern full of monsters.

I turned my attention to the Thundershrooms dotted along the cavern, whose light illuminated various metals and herbs. My Brewing Skill upgraded in the process of my experimentation and I was finally able to use Spider Hide to craft a Leather Bag of Holding, which could hold five more portals worth of stuff! I used my fallen Spiders to craft one, since the Spider Queen’s hide was still out of my reach to craft a Leather Bag of Major Holding. When I tried to shove my broom inside of it, however, it did not fit inside the portal. Therefore, I had to leave it by the cavern’s room.

The Giant Thundershroom’s room was avoided by even the Golem Lizards, which unleashed jagged bolts of lightning towards anyone or anything that got near it. It was an effective way to defend against enemies, but not for me! The Mountain Herbs and Thundershrooms made for a great soup! More importantly, with Blanche’s healing and my newly crafted Potions of Thunder Resist from the mushrooms and Potions of Healing I was able to sit in the Giant Thundershroom’s hole for quite awhile before I finally acquired the Passive Ability Lightning Immunity. With that in my arsenal all that remained of the major elements was Wind, but there was no use in worrying about that!

When I came out of the room, I was met with the judgmental Attor and Blanche sitting on his head. At least they were getting along while I was busy zapping myself.

“Your hair is a mess!” The blue Fey scolded me. The green and the gold Fey straightened me out, which annoyed me but it reminded me of what the Caretakers did back then. They offered me knowledge, like how to curse people’s faces off and also how to extract their mortality away while tempting them, which I assured them I didn’t really need. The prospect of increasing my lifespan did not seem like a bad option, I guessed, but I did not know how long humans lived in the first place. While I was getting groomed by them, the Pink Fey burst into the cavern, panting. All of the Fey in the room asked at the same time. “What is it?”

“It’s your fuzzy… Your Spiders!”

I immediately went back out there into the main cavern to a crowd of shivering Spiders. What was happening to them? Were they dying? I checked their Status and my eyes widened. They were evolving into Steel Warriors! No way! I inspected the pink fuzzy butt and wiped his drool off his face. He didn’t react, but shivered with the rest of them. Was I supposed to just wait for them to finish evolving like Attor did? It was true that they were slowly gaining levels while Building and Tunneling, but I did not think they would evolve.

— Wisdom’s Intervention activated. Steel Warrior Spiders [Epic] have consumed many rare metals and achieved a special condition for evolution.

— Steel Warrior Spiders possess the Unique Skill: Steel Web Conjuring.

Huh, I guessed those guys could eat anything. With them now much more powerful, it was my time to see what this door was all about. I stood before it armed with an Ancient Wand, a Leather Bag of Holding with Potions of Healing and several Potions of Minor Energy to restore Tier 1 Spellpages. I was ready! Maybe!

“Maybe?” Attor floated around me with a quizzical look on his face.

I sighed and moved through his spirit head. The Pink Fey warned me about going through this door, but I did not feel anything hostile emanating from it like a usual Dungeon Boss Room gave out. It felt foreboding and also empty, an odd feeling I could not describe.

“Come out, Attor,” I called him. He manifested by the entrance. Blanche skittered off my arm and jumped on top of his head. “You two will have to wait out here.”

Blanche gave out a sad cry, but Attor scoffed. I ignored both; I was too preoccupied in my thoughts. That stupid Fey didn’t give me any hints about what was beyond this door. Was this Stone really one of mine? Based on how scared the Fey was of it, I assumed it was not any Stone I got from the Primordials.

I approached closer to the door, unsure if I was moving on my own accord. The doors swung wide. Attor? I turned back and realized everything was pitch black. Uh oh. I couldn’t breathe! My skin wriggled and I heard the sound of flesh ripping. My arms! I felt no pain, but an alien feeling crawled along my skin like goosebumps.

I tentatively lifted my arms up and froze. Eyes glanced back at me, blinking and staring. They lined up all along my wrist and arms. Since I couldn’t see myself with them, whose eyes were these? I panicked. These must be…!

“Wisdom? A little help here,” I spoke in the darkness, hoping to hear her intervention in my ears. “Wisdom?”

An enormous eye covering the abyss above me opened up and its pupil directed itself at me. I gulped, but got into a fighting stance. I slowly realized that my entire body was becoming covered in eyes. My status was full of symbols I could not read, but I doubt they had any good things to tell me anyways. Help, Wisdom! I’m becoming…!

“That’s enough, Cru’Zha,” a voice pierced the darkness. Immediately, the gigantic eye vanished and shifted away into the abyss. The eyes on my skin popped and receded into nothingness. I still felt like they were crawling all over me, just like Blanche does except the feeling covered all of me. I shuddered, though it didn’t help. In the distance, I saw a white glowing figure slowly approaching me, but I could tell that smirk on her face no matter what distance away it was.

“Wisdom!” I cried out. I realized I couldn’t move in this space; I was simply floating in the dark. The veiled woman walked over to me smoothly without any issue in this odd space. “What happened to you?”

She still stood several heads taller than me. No fair!

“It’s been awhile, my Queen,” she looked at me with a curious look. I knew that look! It was the same way I looked at Blanche! “You look so cute in your new form!”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

She grabbed me and lifted me up. I squirmed, but she was unimaginably strong! I don’t remember Wisdom being so high leveled! After doting on me with maximum power she set me down.

“So? Where are we and what happened to you?” I asked her with a sigh. “How did you get so strong?”

“Well,” Wisdom raised a slender finger to her lips. She had retained her original form, but she was glowing or perhaps she was something entirely different and this was my imagination. She chuckled after I thought that. “It’s true, when we were studying and creating the Forbidden Skill, this Rebirth Skill, I found out something entirely different in between the codes. Something watching the Realms.”

“Y-You mean, you found a God?” I stuttered.

“Him,” Wisdom pointed up. The massive, terrifying Eye opened and aimed down upon us when she pointed. This Cru’Zha must be the darkness the monsters in this world worship! In his iris, the magical cosmos shined and the Realms were distant just like the night sky. “He drew me out of the Laboratory then suddenly I was in this Space.”

“Are you, well, I guess you are okay,” I pouted and crossed my arms. “I missed you.”

“That sounds like music to my ears, my Queen. I miss you too,” Wisdom smiled, but drew away as his Eye closed again. “We’re inside Cru’Zha. More specifically, one of his Space Stones.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, but I’ll take your word for it,” I muttered. “Can you and I leave?”

“You can,” Wisdom said vaguely, but she looked sad. Don’t tell me you can’t. “I’m stuck here, my Queen. Charlotte. I sort of, ah, how shall we say it… I got a lot stronger and transcended the Realms.”

“You mean you became a Goddess?” I shook my fists at her. “No fair! Ah! I wanna be a Goddess!”

“Calm down, calm down,” Wisdom smiled. Her hands were incredibly strong, but also really soft! “You’ll get your wish soon, my Queen. You see, when I was designing the Skill I had made it just for you. You just have to keep getting stronger and soon you will surpass the System, too. Besides, what’s a little vacation to you? Take your time, enjoy the Realms. From the Human Realm to the Ocean Realm, I am sure you will find a way to be with me.”

“I don’t really have a choice do I, Wisdom?” I asked her. My voice was weak and embarrassing, but I could not help but falter.

“You’re having fun, no?” Wisdom smiled. I hung my head, but I couldn’t deny that I was having more fun with this newfound freedom as a Human. “Now go. This Space Stone shall also be yours as a gift, so you’ll never be lonely. Gather more Stones. You will need them.”

Space Stone? Suddenly, I felt myself being pulled away from her. She smiled and waved at me as the distance between us grew wider.

“Wisdom!” I screamed. It was no use, my vision of her grew smaller and smaller until she was gone completely. I felt myself collapsing on dirt, but I let it happen.

— Wisdom’s Intervention activated. Space Stone [Origin] obtained. Updating Status…

“I don’t want a gift from you, Wisdom,” I muttered. Someone was calling my name. “I want you.”

— Wisdom’s Intervention activated. Space Stone successfully added to the Host.

— Charlotte has gained the following Passive Skills:

Contact [Origin]: Allows entry into Starfalls.

Silence Barrier [Legendary]: A barrier that silences a target around the user. This prevents Magic and Skills (activated, incoming, concentrated and passive) from working until outside of the user’s sight.

Improved Anti-Mind [Legendary]: Prevents mind reading, appraisal of abilities from up to level 30 creatures.

Blessing of Cru’Zha [Origin]: Immune to the Enlightened Status Effect.

— Charlotte has gained an extra Tier 3 Spellpage. View Spellbook to add it.

— Charlotte has gained two Quick Inventory slots.

“Okay, I guess I’ll take a gift like this from you,” I got up after seeing the Status Window. “We will see each other—“

“Charlotte?” Attor’s voice interrupted me. Oh right, I heard the Thundershroom crackling nearby. I was back in the cavern. “You’re back.”

“Y-Yeah,” I muttered, staring at my arms. No eyeballs were on it so that’s a start. The magic seal was gone and the door itself was inactive. “How long was I away?”

“A few hours,” Attor looked outside. Blanche hopped from his head and crawled back into my hair somewhere. “Your Spiders… they’ve been busy.”

“Oh, aren’t we ever so busy! I have a wand to craft with these crystals and to test out, and so many new spells to try out!”

Thumping shook the ground and I fell on top of Attor. What was that? I straightened my hat, only to see the familiar drooling Pink Spider Warrior. His fangs were much deadlier, complete with sharp scythe blades at their ends but he still was adorable.

“What is it, mister fuzzy butt?”

The spider tapped its fangs together excitedly, unleashing tiny sparks as they clanged, and peered back to where it came from. I would have to be careful around these guys now, I dodged one of the flames. I decided to follow it and my jaw dropped. The cavern had undergone an incredible transformation, full of webs and tunnels. A familiar pink light noticed me, and began to float down towards me.

“You!” The Pink Fey shouted at me. “Watch out! There’s heavy construction here— Oh it’s you! You’re alive!”

“Thank you for your concern,” I sighed. “What’s going on?”

“We’re remodeling!” The Fey proudly crossed her arms. “We give them the useless shinies for their dungeon, and they make us our new home!”

“That sounds reasonable,” I found it impressive that she was able to switch her opinions on the Spiders. It was unique that the Monsters of this world seemed to get along so well. The ones in the Demon Realms would always slaughter each other before I came around to rule them.

“There’s something you should know, now that you’re here, Witch,” she continued. “Those scary Mage Spiders have scried an Orc village north of the Burrows. They’re encroaching the territory, and it won’t be long until they start fighting your Spiders. Not to mention that the Human bandits are killing off Spiders who stray too far from their home. Hey, what’s with that grin on your face?”

“Then I’ll have to visit them, won’t I?”

Awhile later, I sat on my broom looking over my Status. There were a number of changes, but the most important change was the new Category called Quick Slots. Those slots were two portals of Holding that could manifest anywhere, so I could have two items inside of them and take them out any time. I even could fit my broom in it, so I decided to place my wand and my broom inside of it. As for the weapon, I held the Blue Magic Crystal I ripped out awhile ago and my wand as I activated the Crafting Skill. Once again, that satisfying glow covered both of my hands and soon a new shining azure Crystal Wand popped out of it.

— Crafting: Tier 4 Crystal Wand successfully crafted.

“Wow,” I remarked. Attor’s head floated to inspect the beautiful blue wand. “This is my most valuable item yet, Attor! I wanna blow something up with it! Third Spell! Ligh—“

“Wait!” Attor scolded me. “Don’t waste such a powerful Spell for today.”

I pouted, but he was right. So, I looked over my Spellbook instead. My new Spells, I learned, were all apart of the Dark Element. Each were heavy in mana cost, but were stronger than the basic Arcane spells I had. There was a Tier 1 spell called Dark Bolt, a Tier 2 spell called Dark Flame, and my personal favorite based on its name, the Tier 3 Dark Hole spell. There was also a Tier 4 Category, but I was not level 20 and could not see inside of it.

Just how deep does this Status go? I wondered. How much was Wisdom hiding from me?

I decided for now I would like it here in this Realm anyways. It was, as Wisdom says, a vacation. It’s a mere human lifespan; A blink of an eye would pass it by quickly if I did not pay attention. I slotted in an extra Tier 3 Spell, Dark Hole, and decided it was high time to return to my tower to speak with Frampton. He must be worried sick! Since I had time since my Awakening Ceremony was apparently delayed, I could test out my new cauldron and pay the bandits a visit.