The poison fought for half a day. In the end, I didn’t use the antidote. Now, I sit with Anastasia and Axi.
“They know about me,” Anastasia starts, “but they don’t know where I'm. It seemed that group attacked me after noticing an opportunity. They didn’t track us. Actually, that would make sense, considering the reward.”
“What do you mean?”
“Five silver coins is big money, but not enough for a witch. I would expect at least a gold coin. That bounty is not enough for a team to hunt us down as their only objective. Too much time, too little reward.”
“Why? Financial problems?”
“No. The town is not in the best shape, but a few dozen silver coins for a bounty shouldn't be a problem. I mean, five silver is around a year of income for a low-paid laborer, but adventurers burn money quickly. Weapons dull, and armor gets damaged. You need to keep investing. For Gold Rank, or even Silver Rank, those kinds of money are only enough for two months, maybe three. If you have to divide it by four or five members, it’s just comparable to a great haul from a hunt. The town gets way more in taxes.” Anastasia waves her hand, dismissing the question.
“Actually, can you explain human money to us?”
“Sure. The least valuable coins are bronze coins, at least officially. Bronze coins are honored everywhere, just that some are more debased than others. It's the same with all kinds of coins, so trade with other nations is often done in kilograms of pure metal instead. The smallest coins are called pennies. They are not officially recognized and are completely local, with each region having a different version. They are used for everyday shopping, buying food, and so on. They are not issued by any nobility but made by people.
"What? Won't that make the coin worthless?"
"Pennies are not worth much." She nods. "In our region, they are carved from wood, but all kinds exist. Usually, young apprentices make coins as their first job, so blacksmiths make iron pennies, carpenters make wooden pennies, and so on. Their only worth is an artistic depiction on the coin, usually showing some divine image, either a face of a God, or their symbol. Wealthy people and temples buy such coins sometimes to sacrifice to a God, which keeps their worth." She stops for a moment. "I would say pennies are good for locals. Pennies are unlootable, so in case of a war, locals suffer less."
"But won't locals keep producing them? It's free money."
She shrugs. "I wouldn't say free. It's quite a lot of work, and a sloppy job is not good enough. Many people have a perk to check if a penny is good enough under Haggling skill. A young apprentice can barly feed themselves by creating pennies all day."
She continues. "Each more valuable coin is worth one hundred lesser coins, so one hundred pennies are worth one bronze coin. Bronze is used for more expensive stuff, like clothes, weapons, and armor, with the best ones costing silver, at least in our region. Then, you have gold coins, then platinum coins. Then you have magical metals. Orichalcum is best known, but there are others I don't know. You use those metals for crafting, so you may want to melt them.”
“OK. That gives me perspective. The town's behavior doesn’t make sense, though. Maybe they don’t care as much for witches as you thought.” I counter.
“I think they may know I’m not a real witch. I mean, the churches are sure to know there are many titles like the ones I have. They probably know I’m not as dangerous as a real witch, so a low bounty.”
“That’s good, though. This means there aren’t going to be many adventurers after us.” I conclude.
“What can we do? I mean, if they find us.” Axi asks.
“That’s a good question. I would say there are two options. First, we flee. Second, we fight.”
“Why not do so now?” Axi continues.
I chuckle. “The more we wait, the stronger we are. It’s better to prolong this clash. As for fleeing, it’s possible, but dangerous. We don’t know what’s in the forest. We could move through human lands, but that would make us a dangerous horde, and humans would most likely make an army to kill us. We would also need to fight for a new place for us in the new area. Nature doesn’t like a vacuum, so as new predators, a fight is inevitable. A fight big enough could alert humans, leading to the same situation as now.”
Our current situation is great, actually. Ants are great prey, being very efficient herbivores. They reproduce rapidly and aren't very hard to kill. Their meat could be tastier, but that's a minor matter. They provide a lot of both food and EXP. Practically, we are already dominating our surroundings; only 3rd tier monsters are still a bit too strong for us to hunt them down. We could, but I'm not sure the inevitable losses of hobs are economical for us.
“That’s stupid. Can we just kill them one by one?”
“You mean adventurers?”
“Yeah. They move just like ants. In a small group. We could slowly wear them down.”
“That won’t work. Humans are not as stupid. They would notice something wrong and start moving in larger groups, leading quickly to the final battle. Maybe we could kill around a fifth or fourth of them, but all the soldiers in the town remain. And there’s a good chance they will join the final battle—at least part of them.
We leave the room. The only conclusion is that we do nothing and wait for more developments. I go back to my research shack and start experimenting with potions. I won’t be able to trade with Fikeral anymore, but there are many towns and cities on the border with monsters' lands. I just need to move south or north.
For my senses, the potion is just vitality mana in a bottle. There is obviously some liquid inside, but I know it’s not required for the potion to work. Vitality is enough. Obviously, the liquid may contain some properties that enhance its vitality or make it easier to absorb. For now, my goal is to create a very simple potion, so I can forget about it.
I pour vitality mana into a bowl of water. Vitality quickly starts to disperse, leaving the water in half an hour completely. This is normal. The materials act as focuses for mana. For example, ambient mana entering the soil would partially turn into earth mana. Then, that earth mana is also constantly disappearing, turning back into ambient mana in an endless cycle. Water contains some water mana and no vitality mana. Vitality mana disperses, but nothing keeps generating it back. It’s obvious to me. There are two ways for me to create a potion, then.
I pour vitality instead, and it creates vitality mana that I can observe. This experiment ends even faster. Vitality mana disapears, probably because vitality somehow dispersed as well. The only change is that the water turned green. Microbes. Great.
The first option is to create a focus or maybe a foundation. The second one is to create containment. I start with the second option, mostly because I have way more experience with it. I created my core this way. I start by carving two bowls with plain surfaces. I’m planning to place one on top of the other and create a ball-like container. I carve runes on both bowls. The whole process takes me most of the day.
I then pour water into it and then vitality. The effect is way better. Some vitality is still disappearing, but not as much. I test the water by drinking it, and vitality mana is absorbed by my body. It slowly turns into vitality. If I were hurt, it would restore my HP. It’s a minor success, at least. I go to sleep and check back the next day.
A good part of vitality disappeared. Strange. I check the bowls, and they work fine. Very little vitality mana escapes; the container should work for at least days, if not weeks. Then it hits me. All runes need fuel. My normal magic is fueled by my will and my mental endurance. Runes use up mana. I sigh. The containment is using up vitality inside to contain it. It’s a failure. Runes won’t work unless I have a vitality core to power them up. Even then, it would be better to create a magic item that makes the water inside of it a health potion, not a container.
This leaves the first option of creating a focus. I grimace. What naturally contains vitality? Living creatures. Effectively, the soul is a core of vitality flow. This means I would need to either create a golem meant to be consumed or a living creature. Actually, I should test if this works in the first place.
I find a small frog. It’s obviously alive. Damn! It’s super gross. I pick it up and try to swallow it alive. It’s not very dangerous for me. I can kill it any time with magic, as its Will and Vitality are weak enough for me. I also have an Iron Stomach trait, making it rather fine. I still want to throw up, as I feel a moving animal inside my throat. No! I do so for science! I swallow.
I observe it with my Mana Sense. I’m really focused. I don’t want to repeat it. The frog's vitality shrinks. Well, it can no longer breathe. As the frog dies, the remaining vitality breaks, and some of it is indeed absorbed by my vitality, but the amount is minuscule.
Oh well. I really need to repeat it. The second time, it’s easier. This time, I use magic to kill the frog first by forcefully shattering its vitality flow, and I throw its soul outside my body. Way more vitality remains. Most of it is absorbed into my vitality, and some of it disperses.
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This means I need some containment anyway. Or just make a way to automatically kill the focus upon consumption. This is a bit too complicated for now. I will try to experiment with various materials and maybe even unlock Alchemy skills, but for now, it’s better to concentrate on other projects.
I go to my project site, where I research golems. I know it’s impossible for me to just create a golem from scratch. So, I need to do so step by step. I observe vitality flowing inside the wolf beside me. I partially severed vitality flows going to and out of its soul. Then, I created Vitality Gates, runes I got from the Vitality Buff spell, inside his body. I knocked the wolf unconscious, as it lowers magic resistance. The wolf doesn’t have any magic skills, but the wolf’s vitality is connected to its soul, so it can resist attacks to some extent with the power of its will. This is the reason I can't just kill anyone at will.
I observe the results. The wolf is still alive, so that’s a success. The severed part is still connected to the soul, but only by two connections, while there are normally dozens. The rest of them are currently tied to each other, making the wolf paralyzed. I go further with the experiment today. I create more vitality gates, and as the situation looks to be stable, I sever another connection, leaving only one.
The vitality shakes, and I use my magic to stabilize it. I still haven’t figured out how to control a being by changing its vitality. I know it’s possible since I’m rather sure the soul communicates with the body through vitality. It would be easier if I had taken the finesse perk, but that would make me incapable of ripping vitality apart. In the end, slow and steady wins the race.
The wolf’s vitality shatters. Damn. I still don’t know how to completely replace or mimic the soul in a golem. Well… Let’s try something else.
I preserve some vitality flow in the wolf and cut off its leg. I know vitality flows change as the body changes; for example, vitality will start flowing differently around the cut-off arm. However, what if I add a body part?
I go with the severed leg to another wolf. I take a knife and skin my new experimental subject around its back. Then, I place a severed leg there and pour vitality while connecting the vitality from the leg with the new wolf’s vitality. I know the soul will most likely reject this change, but it’s still an interesting experiment.
You have learned Flesh Working (Rare) skill!
Wow. I check, and it's a crafting skill. I’m going to keep it in that case. I check on the wolf. The vitality connected all right. I stop keeping the wolf paralyzed, and the new limb moves just fine. I mean, it’s completely useless for a wolf to have a leg on its back, but it works. I observe it, and it seems nerves are going into that leg, connecting to the brain.
Is it really so easy? I observe my experiment for a day, and I notice the leg starts to go necrotic. It makes sense, actually. I don’t have actual flesh-shaping powers. I didn’t connect veins and arteries as needed. There should be some blood circulation, but probably too low for the whole limb.
I also hunt. My skills increase only by a level or two, but I can use more levels. I also level up my new Flesh Working skill. It has the potential to nicely synergize with my magic.
You have killed 53 1st tier monsters. You have earned 2245 Experience Points.
You have killed 12 2nd tier monsters. You have earned 6200 Experience Points.
You have advanced to level 7!
Your Vitality Mana Control skill has advanced to level 27!
Your Vitality Buff skill has advanced to level 21!
Your Vitality Bank skill has advanced to level 17!
Your Soul Perception skill has advanced to level 22!
Your Sword Fighting skill has advanced to level 27!
Your Dodging skill has advanced to level 14!
Your Flesh Working skill has advanced to level 13!
Your Vitality Mana Affinity trait has advanced to level 10!
I have two perks to pick, one for Flesh Working, and one for Vitality Mana Affinity. I start with Flesh Working.
Anatomy I
Learn more about the workings of the flesh.
Stitches I
Learn how to close wounds.
There are only two options. I don’t need Stitches, so I pick Anatomy I. Honestly, this skill looks like it’s ideal for some kind of horror story. Going to my legendary trait, I’m stunned looking at stat perks.
Vitality I
Get 250 additional points of Vitality.
Legendary skills are no joke. I check the other options, and there are Endurance, Strength, and Affinity. Both Strength and Affinity are increasingly tempting. I can’t drop traits, though. The decision is final. I check actual perks first.
Poison Crusher
Allows for your vitality to easily heal you from being poisoned.
Regeneration I
Heal even easier with vitality.
Power I
Become more powerful because of your overflowing vitality.
Power would probably eat into the Vitality Buff spell. There are only so many ways to increase strength by manipulating vitality. Both Regeneration and Poison Crusher are helpful. I pick Poison Crusher, but only because I have a bad history with poisons and venoms. Regeneration is nice, but a possible stat boost makes me salivate.
I’m going to pick stat boost next time unless there is a similar, very useful perk. I didn't bother to check Vitality Mana Control stat perks, but since the skill is also legendary, the perks should give as many stats, right? Unfortunately, I remember that there's a limit to physical stats based on tier, but +250 to any of my mental stats should do wonders.
Actually, speaking of stats, I check my status screen.
Name: NA
Age: 0
Race: Hobgoblin Grand Shaman
Level:7/20
Strength: 17
Vitality: 32
Endurance: 11
Dexterity: 32
Intelligence: 68
Will: 65
Affinity: 39
Health:174/174
Stamina:54/141
Mana:408/408
Traits
Iron Stomach 23 (Uncommon) – Resistant Stomach, Efficient Stomach
Vitality Mana Affinity 10 (Legendary) – Poison Crusher
Combat skills
Spear Fighting 25 (Common) – Strength I, Strength II
Sneaking 25 (Common) – Silent Walk I, Silent Walk II
Hiding 25 (Common) – Temperate Forest Monster Lore I, Silent Breathing
Tracking 12 (Uncommon) Intelligence I
Strategy 28 (Rare) – Will I, Lieutenants I,
Sword Fighting 27 (Common) – Basic Sword Moves, Deflecting I,
Dodging 14 (Common) – Strong Legs I,
Magic Skills
Mana Sense 45 (Uncommon) – Inward Perfection, Resolution I, Vitality Sense, Master of Own Body
Mana Manipulation 44 (Uncommon) – Mana Flow I, Mana Lock I, Rune Casting, Mana Insulation
Vitality Buff 20 (Epic) – Gates I, Gates II,
Vitality Clot 18 (Very Rare) – Sails I
Vitality Bank 17 (Very Rare) – Stealth
Soul Perception 22 (Very Rare) – Decay Sense, Remaining Time
Move Soul 15 (Very Rare) - Grip
Rune Basics 31 (Uncommon) – Basic Runes, Basic Earth Runes, Basic Air Runes
Transplant Soul 12 (Epic) – Borrowed Vitality
Vitality Mana Control 27 (Legendary) – Vitality Flow I, Vitality Runes,
Crafting Skills
Wood Working 24 (Common) - Mana Wood Reinforcement I, Rune Carving
Fortification Construction 11 (Rare) – Intelligence I
Trap Making 20 (Common) - Will I, Will II
Leadership 21 (Uncommon) – Will I, Loud and Clear
Rune Scribbling 31 (Uncommon) - Rune Scribbling Specialist I, Rune Scribbling Specialist II, Wood Expertise
Bone Working 12 (Common) – Dexterity I
Plotting 19 (Uncommon) – Acting I
Flesh Working 13 (Rare) – Anatomy I
Titles
None
My Vitality stat is way higher than it should be. The obvious suspect is the Vitality Mana Affinity Trait. That raises some interesting questions, though. My Vitality stat rose because my trait gave my body more vitality. Does that mean there is a strength mana type or a dexterity mana that increases in the body when stats are raised? Actually, can I somehow cultivate vitality in a xianxia style? Additionally, I’m pretty sure the Vitality stat is also adding to the maximum of the mana pool.
[Diego's POV]
“We found them!” The guildmaster jumps into my room.
“Excuse me?”
“My adventurers checked all goblin camps. We found the witch in one of them.” The guy says it with a wide smile. Just great. I sigh.
“Give me a proper report, then.”
“One of my group of adventurers sneaked near and checked all nearby goblin camps. We found one of them to be very strong. They counted over 100 goblins, probably around 120–130 in total. Around 60 of them are hobs.” I frown. That’s a significant force. Not extremely threatening, but troublesome.
“What about the witch?”
“They report they found a woman ordering goblins around. It seems she took control of that goblin tribe. They also reported that there are multiple metal weapons, either trophies or the witch really taught them at least basic metallurgy.”
“I see.” I think about possibilities. I have only forty soldiers. Fikeral is rather peaceful. The only danger is from monsters, but then I can conscript adventurers to defend. I can gather more people, but most of them have different jobs and only have some fighting experience. Even if I were to go personally, there would be losses. Maybe even half of my forces. It’s always easier to defend. Who knows what the witch has prepared?
“So, how much for the bounty?” The guildmaster asks with a smirk.
“Ten bronze for participation. Two bronze coins for each goblin and fifty bronze for each hob.” This will cost me. Probably around four to five silver for participation fees, one silver for goblins, and twenty for hobs. “And twenty silver coins for the witch,” I add. That would be around fifty silver coins. Bah! Idiots are going to attack different tribes to get more money. I should prepare at least a few more coins. That will make a small hole in my budget, but I will manage. The town’s yearly income in taxes is around twelve to fourteen gold coin, but I have to send half of that to the count who owns the Fikeral.
“When will you attack?”
“In a few days. We need to organize everyone. The best fighters need to return from hunts, and so on.”
“Best luck, then.”
“Ha! I won’t need it, but thank you nonetheless.” The guildmaster leaves. He is Platinum Rank, so he should be fine. It seems this is the end of the whole witch business. Oh well. It is better this way than after several destroyed villages.