I need to figure out another way to train my clergy. After all, even if Pearl wasn’t still completely livid with me, she’s not a priestess anymore…
[Nightmare Mimic – Pearl (Mage) – Level 203]
Yeah, definitely not a priestess.
(You’re a priest of some kind, right?) Nyx offers.
Sure, but I don’t have any priest-related Skills, do I?
Huffing in irritation she says, (So learn some.)
How?
(The same way you learned every other Skill you’ve unlocked. You try to do them, and if you can you get the Skill, right? Gods, I wish it was that easy for everyone else.)
Yeah, that’s true I gue – WAIT, what do you mean it’s not that easy?
(Most people have to actually practice whatever they’re trying to do, or otherwise just learn a whole lot about it. Why do you think Abaris is constantly reading all those musty old tomes?)
That’s…
Actually really interesting!
…But I have no idea what I could even learn…
(Well, you already heal some of the retainers with ash, right? Try doing it with just mana maybe. Ah, but healing usually means someone has to be wounded for it to work.)
I see! Then I just need to injure someone, and then –
Nyx clears her throat noisily.
Right.
I promised I was going to…
***
I didn’t expect her to actually come here again, let alone of her own volition. Even more unexpected that Pearl tagged along with her.
Izahne won’t bow or scrape, or even act deferential or whatever now. Which, is actually a relief to me… I’ve tried so long to get her to stop, and apparently all it really took was to seriously piss her off…
(You didn’t just piss her off. What you ‘seriously’ did was betray her and one of her closest friends.)
I still don’t entirely get what the big deal is, but I at least get that it’s a rule I should follow.
Nyx sighs. (That’s a start I guess. At least you aren’t going to just indiscriminately monsterify every mortal you think is useful.)
…
(You’re not going to indiscriminately monsterify every useful mortal, right?)
What? No, no. I’m not. I’d get obliterated for it, or worse.
(Good. At least you understand that much.)
“I’m willing to move into the castle again, on one condition,” my wife says.
I gesture for her to continue.
She looks at me for a moment as though pondering her options, or maybe what she’s going to say. “If you ever think of doing something like that again – something that changes other people, especially against their will – I want you to ask me first. And if I tell you not to do it, don’t do it.”
“Oh, is that all?” I tilt my head dismissively. “Done. Nyx?”
“What?” my former assistant asks in an irritated tone. I can tell she only bothered to materialize for Izahne’s benefit, though I’m sure the others in the room would appreciate it if she did more often. It’s not like she’s going to run out of mana with me constantly supplying her, just like I do the others.
“Enforce this. We already know my judgment is sometimes flawed, especially in the moment.”
“Would it kill you to say ‘please’?”
Some part of me suddenly feels very strongly that it just might.
And there’s another Nyx sigh. “I should have known. Yeah, sure, whatever. I’ll tell you if you’re about to commit another atrocity.”
***
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
Anyway, that’s what I promised.
So I should probably ask Izahne how to go about testing this.
(Or you could ask me, since I’m in your head at all times still.)
Hmmm, no. I should ask my wife. I promised I would.
(Fine, suit yourself. I’ll just be over here, being bored.)
…
(What?)
Are you sure you aren’t like, some kind of god or whatever now too?
Nyx materializes then stretches, producing a pop from somewhere in her back. “I am.”
Since when?
“I’m a demigod, idiot. What do you think ‘angels’ and ‘daemons’ and so forth are? Also you’re not talking out loud again.”
Ah, right.
…
Speaking of, I know where Izahne is, and Pearl for that matter… they’re with each other, and I know Pearl doesn’t want to see me. I guess I’ll spare both of them for the moment and just ask telepathically.
Are you busy? Can I ask you something?
I feel brief annoyance from our bond, but she does send me feelings of confirmation at least.
…Unrelated, but I should really give you a telepathy skill like I did for Pearl. Also, has she learned to project thoughts farther away yet?
And there’s the irritation again. I guess I should get to the point.
Sorry. Anyway, I’m going to try to learn normal priest Skills since I have a Class for it, and then try to teach it to some of my clergy since Pearl isn’t a priestess now… and probably wouldn’t want to do anything to help me. Which, is fine.
Her irritation is rising still.
Anyway! I promised so I’m asking you. I thought about just, injuring someone and then healing –
Anger? Oh come on! I’m coming clean!
Woah, wait. Nyx stopped me before I even thought about actually doing it, and I promised I’d talk to you if I thought about… atrocities, I guess. So what would you do instead?
…
…
Oh right, you can’t answer. Sorry. I know Pearl doesn’t want to see me, and that’s fine. Could we meet somewhere, so I could –
And then Pearl’s multitude of voices blares in my mind. She says to go to the dungeon town and look for adventurers who already need healing. Dipshit.
…
That’s a great idea!
Thank you. Sorry to make you a go between.
Fuck off, she answers.
Which, fair enough.
***
They were right, too. Even though the dungeon scales by floor and clearly lists recommended levels for parties to challenge them, a fair number either push their luck or make stupid mistakes.
(Or maybe your dungeon is just set up to continuously surround them with ambushes. A lot of adventurers just aren’t prepared for that kind of thing.)
Well, then they should get prepared for it! And my dungeon can help!
Anyway.
There’s a number of injured adventurers here.
A miniature business district sprang up close to the dungeon entrance shortly after it started functioning again, with a moderate markup on prices… the services offered here vary widely from quick armor and weapon repairs to buying and selling dungeon materials, or even blessings or healing independent of my temple further into the town. In fact, it looks like the town itself has grown quite a bit…
(Don’t act so surprised, you created an economic center here,) Nyx comments.
Fair enough.
Anyway, there are plenty of injured adventurers here, some of which are arguing with commercial healers over rates…
To limited success at best.
Looks like there are some who flatly can’t afford healing either. A number of them are younger, or at least lower level.
Perfect.
I approach one of the small groups. “Hello, human.”
“Uhhh I’m not a human. Why do you look like the statue?” they reply.
(He,) my former Assistant comments.
Thanks I think?
(Also that’s an obounis, like Abaris.)
I see.
“Never mind that, at least for now. I have a priest Class with no healing Skills at the moment, but I’d like to try to learn one. Will you comply?” I ask.
The… not-a-human, furrows their brow distrustfully. “You’re gonna charge me after the fact, aren’t you?”
“Nope,” I wave my hand dismissively. “I don’t need your money. That’s my dungeon to begin –“
Nyx loudly clears her throat again.
“AHA RIGHT, uh, nevermind, but no I don’t need your money. My payment will be trying to learn a Skill.”
He doesn’t look any less convinced, but at least gestures at his leg. It’s clearly broken, and without even looking under the layers of bandaging I can tell it has a lot of bruising as well.
And then I realize I’ve never actually seen a human perform healing, other than that ranged whatever that Pearl used to use… but that was a spell, not a Skill… So I glance around at some of the commercial healers for ideas.
…
Looks like they mostly hold their hands a short ways away and then channel mana into some kind of off-green light?
A memory comes unbidden, telling me that it doesn’t look much different from Gravelight, an occasional side effect from raising the dead…
Wait, I could raise the dead!?
(Not with their original souls, probably. They’d just become soulless undead like zombies or skeletons or whatever.)
Noted.
Anyway, I guess I’ll try that.
I hold my hands over the obounis warrior’s wound, and channel my will into what I think would probably… do what I’m expecting…
And a rippling wall of brilliant green rapidly expands around me, straightening bones and knitting flesh with horrifying crunches and squishes…
[Available Skill: Wave of Restoration used for the first time!]
[Wave of Restoration added to Skills!]
(Um… Well, you know what, nevermind. I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re both an idiot and idiotically overpowered.)
“DID THAT COME FROM YOU!?” another nearby adventurer shouts.
Ah, they’re all starting to clamor.
“Fine,” I say in resignation. “You all have Identify, right? Use it.”
…
Followed by even more clamor, mostly asking what the hells a ‘True Wraith’ or a ‘Queen of Hunger’ even is.
“Was that you?” someone in a healer’s robe is. Ah, I recognize them, they were one of the healers haggling earlier…
They look angry for some reason too.
“Stealing business is against the rules, we have an agreement here! If you’re not going to follow the rules, then you should get the hells out of –“
“Get out of where?” I interrupt, starting to lose my patience.
And dematerialize just enough of my body to float, drifting toward the statue of me in the middle of the square.
Astraea. The statue of Astraea.
(Give it up. You’re her.)
Oh shut up.
I channel outward with my thoughts so I’ll reach everyone in the square. THIS IS MY DUNGEON, MY TOWN, MY PLANE. YOU WILL NOT ORDER ME TO LEAVE, NOR WILL YOU JUDGE MY ACTIONS.
I have separate people for that, after all.
I AM NEMESIS. I AM THE REBIRTH OF ASTRAEA, AND THE QUEEN OF HUNGER! AND THOUGH I AM WORSE THAN A MORTAL THREAT TO THOSE WHO WOULD CHALLENGE MY ORDER, I ALSO OFFER SUCCOUR TO THOSE WHO OBEY, THOSE WHO ARE USEFUL, THOSE WHO DO NOT CHALLENGE MY ORDER.
Dropping to the ground for dramatic effect, I softly speak in the hollow silence. “If you want to show gratitude for what I’ve done, offer prayers. Speak to the priest at the temple. Learn to worship me and spread word of my mercy.”
(“I’m not Astraea”, you keep insisting.)
…
Yeah. I know.
I know.