“Grandfather, I’m here.”
Ayesha burst into the room with a smile on her face. She was wearing the same clothing she wore in the Arena. A black top that exposed her midriff, shoulders and arms. Black shorts that extended to the middle of her thighs and a unique pair of black shoes that left the bottom of her feat exposed. Her clothing made it easy for Zane to observe the tattoos on her arms, legs, and back.
Despite coming from the Arena, Ayesha’s braided ponytail didn’t have a hair out of place and her dark skin didn’t have a drop of sweat on it. With a playful glint in her golden eyes, she dove into her grandfather’s arms. With a warm smile on his face, he began to scold his granddaughter about being late and making a scene.
“You’re not going,” Sarah told her daughter.
“I’m going. This is something I need to do,” Star replied.
“Where are you going?” Ashley asked.
“You would know if you were here on time,” Abel replied.
“We were discussing what I told you about before,” Shaman said. “Looking for the source of the demonic beasts.” Shaman turned to Steven. “I’m surprised you aren’t willing to let your daughter go. After all, I told you I will be letting my grandchildren go.”
“Your grandchildren were raised outside of cities and were given the training they needed to survive. My daughter doesn’t have that experience. Sending her out would be bad for her and the entire group.”
“Father, I was able to travel back home and fight against the demonic beasts. I’m more than capable of going.”
“That was a completely different situation.”
“It sounds like the way we wanderers raise our children is superior.” Shaman said. “Maybe you should give up on this town and wander the forests, rivers and hills like we do.”
“With all due respect, I would prefer you not tell me how I should raise my child.”
“The way we raise our children isn’t flawless.” Surprisingly, it was Abel that spoke to refute Shaman. “Plenty of children die while we wander the forest rivers and hills.”
Shaman frowned and turned to glare at his grandson before speaking in a stern voice. “Although those deaths are unfortunate, they are necessary for the growth of our people as a whole.”
“The death of a child should never be seen as something necessary.” Zane could hear the agitation in Abel’s voice. “If we create a few permanent homes for families to raise their children then there would-”
Bang!
Shaman slammed his hand on the table and caused it to crack. “We have already discussed this! We will continue to follow the teachings of our ancestor, no matter what. I will not let you destroy our way of life. If you bring this up again I-”
Bruurmp!
Zane scraped his chair against the floor as he moved it back. It was clear to see that his involvement in the conversation was over. He was happy to hear that the Shaman would be sending his grandchildren along. It didn’t guarantee that there would be no danger, but it was a good indication that Zane wasn’t walking to his death. Of course, Zane wasn’t thrilled about the family drama he was seeing, which is why he stood up to leave.
“It seems like you all still have things to discuss. When you’re ready to begin the search, please let me know.”
“Please wait.” Steven called out. “There was something else we wanted to discuss with you.”
“Oh, what is it?” Zane was surprised that there was something else, and he was surprised by the embarrassment Steven showed after Zane questioned him.
“We wanted to know if you would be willing to give us the same abilities you gave my daughter.”
Naturally, Zane refused. Although Shaman and Steven didn’t seem like a great threat, Zane still sense a feeling a danger when he felt their presence. He was concerned with how strong they would become after they obtained a class. Therefore, Zane told them he wouldn’t be able to grant them access, but he would be able to grant the Shaman’s grandchildren access.
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The two leaders were disappointed, but they accepted Zane’s answer. They asked him to let them know when he could and moved on. Next, Shaman asked Zane to begin giving the power to his grandson.
Abel was already aware of what to expect so he and Zane could begin right away. Ayesha wasn’t so Shaman explained the process as the system channeled Zane’s source energy. Time quickly passed and Abel obtained the adventurer title.
Once they were done, Abel began the process to choose his class. The Shaman was prepared and gave Abel mana stones to use. Zane felt a little responsible and wanted to say a few words, but Abel and the others assured him that they knew what to expect. Shrugging his shoulders, Zane chose to stay silent. If Abel was to encounter any problems, then he would have to rely on the system for help.
For the next few days, Zane stayed inside the town training, researching and exploring. Shaman and Steven wanted Zane to grant the adventurer title to everyone that would be participating in the search before they all left. Zane would be traveling with Star, Blake, Blair, Ayesha, Abel and six others.
Yes. Eventually, Star’s parents agreed to let her join the search. Zane didn’t know what Star said to convince her parents and he didn’t ask. After seven days passed, all of the people participating in the search gathered and prepared to set off.
“Make sure you stay at the center of the group and cast your protective spells first when you encounter an enemy,” Sarah told her daughter.
“Always prioritize your own safety,” Steven added. “Don’t take risk and always fight from a distance. You may have received some martial training, but training and real combat are two different things.”
“Don’t forget about the potions we prepared for you either.” Sarah said.
Zane leaned against the town wall as he waited for his temporary companions to finish their preparations. As Zane waited, he thought about what he accomplished over the past few days. Specifically, he thought about the Gifting the System quest.
Six days after the meeting with Steven and the others, Zane completed the Gifting the System quest. His reward was two hundred class points and one level. Once the quest was completed Zane was given another quest by the system. Gifting the System Ⅱ.
The quest required Zane to grant the adventurer title to twenty-five people. Not fifteen additional people, twenty-five additional people. Although the reward didn’t increase, Zane didn’t complain. After all, on the seventh day, Zane gained the ability to control his source energy.
During the granting of the adventurer title, Zane was able to increase and decrease the rate at which the system sent his source energy to the person he selected by a tiny amount. It wasn’t a lot, but it was a good sign and a powerful motivator. In addition to gaining slight control Zane was able to increase the number of people he could grant the adventurer title to everyday by one person. Of course, Zane was left feeling even more drained after he granted the adventurer title to two people in one day.
Currently, Zane was recalling the feeling of controlling his source energy. He focused on his source and tried to draw energy from it. Zane failed. He could sense that he was doing something, but the result he wanted did not occur.
“Blake, I would like to thank you for the protection you provided my daughter while she was away and when she was returning,” Steven whispered.
“No need to thank me sir, I was doing my duty.” Blake whispered back.
“I know that duty wasn’t the main motivator for you.”
“Sir, sir, I, I-”
Zane looked up to see a flustered Blake trying to speak to Steven. Zane had a part of his attention focused on the conversations the people around him were having. Zane wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on Steven and Blake. However, his perception stat was greater than the average tier one expert on Kaleem. Before Zane knew it his curiosity took control, and he was listening in on their conversation.
“There’s no need to explain yourself. I knew about the feelings you have for my daughter a long time ago. That’s why I assigned you to protect her. Now, I need you to protect her again. As long as you can bring her back safely again, I can think about giving you permission to pursue her.”
“You can count on me sir!”
Blake looked like he was ready to fight against a thousand enemies. His words spread across the area, and he ended up drawing the attention of a few people. Zane found his actions amusing, but he didn’t focus on Blake for too long. His attention was drawn by Ayesha that came running to the meeting area carrying a bag that was as tall as herself.
“I’m here, I’m packed and I’m ready to go.” Ayesha announced
“What did you pack?” someone asked.
“Food,”
“And?”
“And what?” Ayesha asked with a frown on her face.
“You only packed food?”
“What else will I need?”
Unlike everyone else, Zane didn’t have a bag. He showed everyone his space bags and explained the concept behind it. Naturally, everyone was curious and wanted to examine or obtain one of their own. Zane did have a spare space bag he could loan out, but he didn’t let anyone know that. Instead, he kept the space bags close to his vest and promised to get them one if he was given the opportunity.
“Now that Ayesha is here it’s time for all of you to head out.” Shaman said. “Remember, your primary goal is to investigate not to fight. Did you hear that, Ayesha?” Shaman received an eyeroll from his granddaughter in response. “Abel, make sure you lead them well. Trust the spirits and listen to them.” Shaman spoke in a harsh tone.
“I’ve never had a problem trusting or listening to the spirits.” Abel spoke back in an equally harsh tone.
Zane shook his head at the two of them. He didn’t think family members should part ways in anger, but as an outsider it wasn’t his place to speak. Instead, he placed his attention on the upcoming journey. The system gave him the investigation quest for a reason, and he would soon find out what that reason was.