Mash walked through the streets. It was by far one of the worst experiences he could’ve imagined. He wouldn’t be so bothered if the others had joined. But alas, his friends had abandoned him to travel alone. Well, not entirely alone. But alone enough to face the brunt of the states himself. The elders were there though they walked behind him, giving him way too much space. They may as well have been another part of the crowd. Their eyes were filled with gratitude. Mash couldn't understand where all their gratitude was coming from either. He had been the reason behind all of their problems. Solving issues he made didn't feel deserved. It was something he needed to do.

That lost thought helped him keep his head up. To meet those gazes with a smile. Even if it was forced. He walked straight through the city. His path didn't take him through the entire city, but anyone that wanted to see him could. As it turned out, that meant mostly the Kishiv. They filled the streets and buildings. Almost everywhere he looked he could see someone trying to get a glimpse of him. Shadows filled the treetops and every window was crowded with families.

Mash couldn't think of anything similar back home. They had parades and celebrations, but people had busy lives. Even heroes wouldn't cause such a ruckus. Famous people like the general might, but only if there was a big war going on. Individual people just didn't matter as much. As Mash thought that, he remembered that there was something that could cause a whole nation to react. Monsters.

Legendary creatures could do more than stir up an entire nation. There were stories of multiple nations uniting to push back a single sea monster. They wouldn't, or couldn't even try to kill it. The creature was simply too strong. There were few monsters like that, but they existed. Dragons for the entire race were included in that list. There weren't many of them, but it was well known that offending one would bring the wrath of all. Nobody on the planet would hunt or kill even a baby dragon. The risk was too great. Nations had fallen for less, and nobody was dumb enough to offend those monsters.

Mash thought that some people could probably harm them, if not worse. Igan popped into his mind alongside the general. He didn't imagine there were many things out there that could resist the two of them if they chose to fight together. The skies and the seas were dangerous. But the land had its own legends. His wandering thoughts distracted him. The sounds of the city turned into a background murmur. The states blended into the surroundings. And so, he walked with his head high. Although his mind had gone elsewhere.

It was only when he got to the edge of the city that he came back to the moment. The streets ended. No more buildings peeked in between trees. It was the edge. He turned slowly and saw the crowd. Several more Elders had joined the group, but they had blended into the mass of people before him. Seeing them stand there like that was ominous. He stood separated from them. Standing by himself, he realized what this felt like. His match had been in solitude. His mind detached from the people he faced now. The way they stood against him made him feel truly like a monster. He alone stood to oppose them. The people had gathered at the edge of the city to watch him.

Then Mash took a step forward. He would not end this march as the monster. Completely separated from the people he was supposed to help, maybe even to lead. The wrongness had urged his feet on. The thoughts of monsters and people made him step into the crowd. It opened his mouth. He needed to speak and show them that he wasn't a monster.

"Hello. I am sorry. I changed your lives and put you in this unknown place. And it seems like it will get more dangerous. I will try and protect you all, and Priscilla will still be around too. But you need to know that I am just one person… Wait. I can be more!"

Mash was standing in the crowd. The people surrounding him. There were too many people and the Elders couldn't stop them from closing in. It wasn't like the people wanted to hurt him. They squeezed together to get whatever they could from him. Mash didn't know what they expected. His words had caused a shift though. Most of the people had been listening out paying his words back so that more could hear. Now, silence hung in the air as Mash used his new skill.

The first thing he made looked like him. Well, a sculpture made entirely of wood. Mash knew that it wasn't exactly the same thing, but it did have access to his skills. Some of them at least. Mash felt a connection to his creations and had some idea of what they could do. It would be enough. They could protect the people. That was all he wanted. His health drained as more and more wooden creatures grew from his body. At first, they were just different sculptures of him, but then he made other things. Dragons and sphinxes ranging in many different sizes came forth and took the air. He gave each creation command and gave control of them over to Priscilla as well. These were powerful things and his life drained away with each one. Before long he had to stop. His body felt weak and he worried briefly about whether he could kill himself with skill or not.

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Once he was done, he fell to the ground. One of the sculptures of himself was quick to respond and caught him. He half-slumped against it but tried to stand straight. After a second he gave up, and just slid to the ground. He crossed his legs and gestured for the people around him to do the same. Some did, but many remained standing. It was enough and Mash spoke again. This time he didn't try to project his l.they would pass the message back. He was sure of it.

"These creations are like servitors but have most of my abilities. Including the portal creation. I will be able to know if anything bad happens now too. I know it's not perfect, but they will help watch over you."

It felt right to say that. Those words would hopefully reassure them. They didn't react much and he struggled to read their thoughts. His domain let him get a general feel for the crowd, but he couldn't pick up on individual emotions anymore.

"Why?"

The question came from one of the Kishiv elders nearest to him. He sat just to the right of Mash. Mash slowly turned to face the man. He eyed him with confusion. He didn't understand the question. Another elder, not a Kishiv, seemed to understand.

"Why did you do all this for us?"

The question felt like it hit him. With how drained he was, he felt dazed by it. Mash took several long seconds to process it, but his answer was simple.

"Because I had to. This was my fault, to begin with."

"But who would save a people they did not know, even for honor or justice?"

Elder SerJi interjected. Mash was too tired to answer the questions fully. At the moment, he was just acting on instinct.

"Me."

Mash's one-word answer silenced the crowd. The crowd gathered around him just froze. The answer was ridiculous. Although it laid the truth out plainly. Not that these people had any real reason to trust him. His actions would prove his intentions. If they didn't, then he had let them down. It was a simple answer. Mash couldn't help but feel like he was answering a lot of questions today.

He was drained. Both his energy and health were lower than they ha been in a long time. He actually didn't know if his health had ever been this low. He remembered a dagger in his neck and a fall that had almost killed him. That should've killed him. His health had fallen lower back then. The Wyvern has been pretty bad too, but he hadn't been as weak then. He's had his close calls, and this couldn't really compare. Although his health was very low.

His skill was dangerous. He would need to be careful about making these things during a fight. Although he would be able to recover more easily during a fight. He would need to change his tactics. Even before Priscilla's warning, he could tell that his mind had wandered again. He was too drained to focus and the crowd still hadn't dispersed. Mash forced a weak smile and spoke softly.

"I'm tired. Let's get back to whatever. I want to take a nap."

His words didn't need to be repeated. The crowd broke. Mash could tell that some wanted to stick around. But they still listened to him like he was some kind of deity. It bothered him. He had hoped his actions would make them more comfortable. That didn't seem to be the case.

After his display of power, he could understand though. The elders spent their lives making servitors, but his skills let him make even more incredible things in moments. He hoped it didn't discourage them. Their creations were incredible and not just because anyone could use them. The things they made didn't rely on magic or an individual. Their creations had a permanence that Mash didn't. When he died there would be no one who could replicate his creations. Mash's power was his own, but the servitors were just common technology. Something that would be timeless. Something that would continue to give and improve.

It didn't really take all that much time for the entire group to vanish. The four Elders from earlier remained, but the majority was gone now. Some children stuck around. They hid behind corners or trees. Well, they tried to hide. Not a very good attempt by most. One child was sticking their whole head around one tree. Kishiv's unique appearance made that gesture strange.

He left them alone and spoke to the elders instead.

"I'm going to leave soon. Probably as soon as I finish resting. Unless you need me for something."

He received a lot of quick rejections and rushed shakes of his head. He nodded and remembered one last thing.

"Oh yeah. Those two replicas can make portals themselves. If you need me for anything let Priscilla know. The creations aren't particularly smart. But they can help with a lot."

The elders nodded. It felt like they were more hesitant to speak now. How had that been the outcome? He didn't sigh but he wanted to. He just activated inhuman hibernation and closed his eyes.