Elijah awoke to the feeling of someone climbing the steps to his treehouse. Even in his drowsy state, it only took a moment for him to focus on that facet of his Quartz Mind and identify Carmen. And she didn’t seem happy, judging by the set of her shoulders and the scowl on her face.
“Damn,” he muttered, throwing his blanket aside. He pushed himself upright, then ran his hand through his hair before swinging his legs over the side. Then, he staggered across the room and into the short hall, arriving in the entryway as Carmen knocked on the door. He opened it with a smile. “Good morning. Want some coffee?”
“Sure,” she said, pushing past him. “Plus, you can explain to me where you’re going.”
Elijah didn’t immediately launch into an explanation. Instead, he made good on his promise of glorious caffeine, boiling some water in the kitchen before using his French press to make the coffee. Idly, he wondered if he was losing some of the beverage’s efficacy by preparing the coffee himself. Without any cooking abilities, he knew that some of the ethera would be lost, so it made sense that it would be less powerful than if an actual Cook – or maybe someone who had a Barista class – prepared it.
In any case, he didn’t have a Barista handy, so he resolved himself to making do with what he could make. That wasn’t so bad, considering that it was still quite effective.
After brewing the coffee, then dousing both cups in honey, he crossed the kitchen and handed Carmen a steaming mug. She took a sip, then let out a sigh of contentment, some of the tension draining out of her. “You could probably sell this,” she remarked. “I bet people would pay silvers for it.”
“And share my coffee? No, thanks,” Elijah said with a shudder. “It’s all mine. Except when I have guests, I guess. Besides, it’s not like I need money. I made like fifty gold in Seattle.”
“Seriously? Just like that?”
“Yeah. I…uh…I defeated a lot of enemies,” he muttered, preferring not to go into details. It would just upset her. “So, what’s up? You came storming in here like you’re on a mission.”
“I didn’t storm.”
“Tell that to your face,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re leaving,” Carmen stated.
“I have to,” he responded, sitting in one of the chairs. “The Trial of Primacy is coming up, and I’m not even close to prepared. I need supplies. Armor, too. And I need to get stronger. The people in there will be no joke, and that’s not even considering whatever challenges the system’s going to throw at us. It’s going to be more difficult than a tower. Maybe worse than a Primal Realm, which is still more than I can handle. If I’m going to survive that, much less pass the trial, I’m going to need to be at my best.”
“You don’t have to participate in the trial, though. Miggy could use your help. Now that he’s got it in his head that he’s going to take one of the direct combat archetypes, he needs to be as strong as possible. His training is a lot more effective when you’re around,” she said.
Carmen was no stranger to physical training. She hadn’t been a true bodybuilder before the World Tree’s touch, but she’d been an habitual weightlifter since college. As such, she knew just how helpful Elijah’s healing spells really were when it came to recovery.
“I know. Nerthus is going to pick up the slack while I’m gone,” he said. “His spell isn’t quite as potent, but it’s good enough to maximize Miggy’s gains. But even if that wasn’t the case, I have to go. I recently had a fight that didn’t really go my way. It was a good reminder that being at the top of the power rankings doesn’t really guarantee anything. If we want to be safe –”
“This isn’t about our safety,” Carmen interrupted. She pointed at him, continuing, “This is about you. Alyssa was the same way. She didn’t admit it, but she was driven to be the best. The strongest. And look how that turned out.”
“I’m not her.”
“You may as well be,” Carmen argued. “You hide it behind all your personality quirks, but you can’t stand coming in second. Which you are, by the way.”
“Huh?”
“Look at the power rankings,” Carmen replied.
Elijah did.
Planetary Power Rankings (Earth)
1. Oscar Ramirez – Level 85
2. Elijah Hart – Level 84
3. Sadie Song – Level 79
4. Hu Shui – Level 76
5. Niko Song – Level 76
6. Davu Adebowale– Level 70
7. Anupriya Pandey – Level 69
8. Benedict Emerson – Level 66
9. Ram Khandu – Level 63
10. Gunnar Lindstrom – Level 61
11. …
12. …
13. …
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“What the hell? Last I looked, he was a few levels behind,” Elijah said. Admittedly, he didn’t typically keep a close eye on the power rankings, but he hadn’t expected Oscar Ramirez – wherever he was – to have jumped him. After all, Elijah hadn’t been idle. Certainly, he hadn’t been actively looking for levels, but he’d still gained a few over the past months. “What is he doing to level so fast?”
“That’s not my point,” Carmen stated. “You’re not going to stay on top forever. You can’t define yourself by being the strongest person in the world.”
“Highest level.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
“It’s not really a ranking of the most powerful people,” he said. “It’s just levels. That’s only a part of what makes someone strong.”
“Don’t be pedantic. The point is that you’re needed here. This grove is a treasure trove. If you’re not around, who’s going to protect it?”
“I will,” Nerthus stated, stepping out of one of the branches that made up the wall. “I apologize for eavesdropping, but it is difficult for me not to hear everything in the grove. Normally, I ignore it. However, I felt inclined to offer my input. I am now capable of protecting the grove – and the island – from all but the most powerful of intruders. In addition, the family of guardian deer have taken this as their home, and they will defend it. This island is no fortress, but for now, we are more than able to protect it and anyone who resides here. In addition, I am eager to help young master Miguel however I can.”
“Why?” asked Carmen.
“Because he’s my nephew, right?” Elijah guessed.
“No. He has the seed of a nature attunement. That is not so common that it should be ignored,” Nerthus answered. “It is my duty to nurture that seed just as I tend to the rest of the grove.”
“Oh. See?” Elijah said. “Miggy will be fine.”
Carmen sighed, then took another sip of her coffee. “Maybe I’m not going to be fine,” she said. “I know this is all just a normal day for you, but I can’t help but draw some parallels between Alyssa going to that tower and you participating in this Trial of Primacy.”
Elijah didn’t immediately answer. Instead, he just stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded that he hadn’t made the connection. Of course Carmen would be concerned. Her family had been torn apart by that tower run. And now that she and Miguel were just getting settled, Elijah was going to leave on a similar task. How could she not have reservations?
“I’ll be fine,” he said, reaching out to put his hand on hers. She flinched at his touch, but it only lasted a moment. “You know that, right? I’ve run multiple towers. I can handle myself.”
“You just said that you recently lost a fight,” Carmen pointed out. “And there are going to be five-thousand people in this trial.”
“More than that, actually. That’s just the humans. There are spots for the non-humans, too,” Elijah corrected her. Then, he saw her face and said, “Which is a totally not the point.”
“Good save,” she said sarcastically.
“You know I consistently put my foot in my mouth. It’s part of my charm,” Elijah said. “But seriously, Carmen. The whole point of me taking off is so that I can be as prepared as possible for the trial. And besides – this isn’t like a tower. If things get too hairy, I can just leave. That’s what the notice said, at least, and I don’t think the system needs to lie to us.”
“Just promise you’ll be careful. In your preparations and in the trial.”
“I promise,” he said, though he wasn’t necessarily sure he could commit to that. Progression required a certain amount of risk, so he knew he’d be forced to put his life on the line. Hopefully, he could manage it, though.
“What are you going to do? Run some towers?” Carmen asked.
“I don’t know. Probably,” he answered. “I need to do some other stuff first, though. I need to talk to Atticus about some of my plans, plus I want to find out if anyone from Argos is planning on participating in the trial. What about you? How is your project coming along?”
“Slowly,” she sighed. “I’m enchanting every single brick, which you can guess is a bit time-consuming.”
Once Carmen explained the process, Elijah admitted, “Sounds tedious.”
“It can be, but it’s also satisfying. I’m learning a lot, too. Getting a little experience as well,” she said. “But I’ll be glad when it’s finished. Then I can start working on my cultivation. I think it’ll really help me once I start pushing for quality again.”
After that, their conversation turned to more mundane subjects, like the gossip in Ironshore. Carmen hadn’t been there long, but her knowledge of the goings on in the town was light years beyond Elijah’s. When he pointed that out, she just frowned and said, “Well, you have a habit of threatening everyone every time you come into town. Of course they wouldn’t be comfortable around you. Plus, you’re never around.”
“That’s fair.”
Then, Carmen went on to explain that the trade alliance with Norcastle had been even more successful than expected, which had brought a flood of ethereum into the town. More, there was a small community of humans that had migrated to Ironshore. Most were Miners, but their families had come as well.
“And don’t worry. They know this island is off-limits. Everyone in Ironshore is quick to tell any visitors that everyone who comes here ends up dead,” Carmen stated. “It’s a bit silly, honestly. I thought they should downplay the uniqueness, but I was overruled.”
By the time they finished their second cup of coffee, they’d exhausted most topics of conversation. More, Elijah didn’t think he could put off his departure much longer. So, he bade Carmen goodbye and went to find Miguel. The young man was already deep into his training, which met with Elijah approval. After telling Miguel that he’d be checking back in soon, he used Roots of the World Tree and teleported to Argos.
A few minutes later, he arrived at the gates, then made his way to Atticus’ shop. As soon as he entered, the merchant looked up from where he was studying a pair of metal greaves, and when he recognized Elijah, a smile spread across his face. “Welcome back, my friend! I did not expect you so soon,” he said.
Elijah shrugged. “Time’s ticking away,” he said. “I’m starting to prepare for the Trial of Primacy, and I hoped you’d have some good news for me. Any luck with the search?”
While building the Temple of Virtue, Elijah had asked Atticus to remain on the lookout for talented Leatherworkers and a Bowyer. At the time, he’d intended to find gear for Miguel, but now it seemed that he might find uses for those crafters himself.
“Regrettably, no,” Atticus admitted. “But if you’re just looking for armor, I have some decent options.”
“Only leather,” Elijah stated. Indeed, he’d given it a lot of thought, and the idea of using anything else just didn’t feel right to him. Perhaps it was that metal armor was inorganic, or maybe it was all in his head, but he didn’t think he’d get the most out of it unless he confined his choices to leather or cloth – and the latter, only if he couldn’t find the former.
“In that case, I have nothing worthwhile,” Atticus said. “However, I do have good news!”
“Yeah?”
“There is an Artificer in Argos. He’s low-leveled. Just got his class a couple of weeks ago. But I’ve seen some of his work, and I’m very impressed,” Atticus explained.
“What does an Artificer do, exactly?”
“Think of a Tinkerer, but with a bit more focus on ethereal contraptions. As soon as I heard about young Lars, I looked it up in a guide I bought months ago,” he said. Then, he went on, “An Artificer can enchant tools that mimic class abilities. For instance, he made an engraving tool for me that allows me to empower very basic enchantments. I still need to study the designs, and even if I get it right, it will be quite limited. However, it will allow me to do a fair imitation of an Enchanter, which is far more than I would’ve been able to do without that tool.”
“Interesting.”
Atticus laughed. “That is an understatement, my friend! I heard that his most popular tools are cooking implements,” he stated. “Imagine being able to cook your own food again – and actually enjoy the product! It’s revolutionary.”
Elijah scratched his chin. “That could be helpful,” he said. Indeed, he’d long lamented his inability to cook anything properly, but he was more concerned with coffee at the moment. If his coffee already gave such a fantastic buff, then what would it give if it was brewed by someone with a cooking skill? Or, in this case, by someone with a French press enchanted to mimic one of those skills?
The idea was more than intriguing.
“Just keep an eye out for a high level Leatherworker,” Elijah said. “The level to beat is thirty-five.”
That was the level of the girl back in Ironshore. Elijah would use her if necessary, but he wanted something better.
“Will do, my friend.”
“What about the nearby tower? Is there anyone running it right now?” Elijah asked.
That was the problem with the towers to which Elijah had access. With the exception of the Magister’s Estate near Arvandor, they were all in a constant rotation as the local forces took advantage of the leveling opportunities they represented. So, if Elijah wanted to run them, he needed to get in line.
“Regrettably, Delilah led her team inside only this morning. They won’t return for a few days,” Atticus answered. “But I do know of one that might be abandoned. Here – let me get a map.”
He did just that, then showed Elijah where it was said to be. The tower was to the south, well past the swamp, and Atticus’ knowledge was based on hearsay. But it seemed like as good an opportunity as any. So, Elijah decided that, once he found the Artificer and commissioned a French Press, he would go check it out.