“Excuse me, but did that being call you his creator?”

I stiffened as Islon's message filtered into my mind. The turtle's emotions slipped in with the question, incredulity, with a concerning undercurrent of both awe and fear. I groaned, I didn't like any of those feelings being directed at me. I also wasn't sure how to respond, so I settled for. “They did.”

I looked at Thorn, my poor companion had a worried look on their face after hearing me groan. I couldn't really sense their emotions through the bond anymore, but I could tell that they were wondering if they did something wrong. I really didn't want to tell them that they had.

“I think it would be best if you didn't call me creator around other people anymore. It seems like it's a pretty big deal, and I don't want to have to explain it to everyone.” I made sure to keep my thoughts as gentle and soothing as I could. Thorn was still young, for all that they looked like an adult human now.

While Thorn looked a little ashamed, they didn't seem at all surprised.

“Oh! I should know better! I do know better. I was just so excited to be in the real world again, it just slipped out. I'm not sure what I should call you instead though. I know you well enough to know you won't accept me calling you master.”

My ears flicked back, Thorn was definitely correct on that one.

“You've got that right. I respect your choice, and I'm grateful that you feel like you want to stay with me. But going forward, we're going to be partners, okay?”

Thorn smiled brightly. “Partners, yes, I know. I do remember who you are. But what should I call you around other people?”

Thorn flooded me with knowledge of what an attendant was, and their System enforced place in society. The description renewed my dislike for the way the System handled classes.

Attendants lived to serve, it was as important to them as shifting or channeling mana was to me. The only thing that kept me from blowing my top was the fact that they definitely weren't slaves. They had plenty of choice in who they served, and they expected to be well paid for their work.

The class was actually quite rare, having a personal attendant was something reserved for nobility. The System would push them to have a strong repulsion to the idea of serving anyone who didn't meet certain criteria. With the type of clients that they had, it would be seen as entirely inappropriate for an attendant to publicly refer to their chosen master as an equal.

It did make me somewhat happy to know that in private, they were expected to speak much more freely.

After I digested what Thorn had sent, something stood out to me.

“I don't think I can afford you.”

“Eternal life is priceless.” Thorn sent back, with a smile.

I blinked.

“I'm an adventurer, I could lose my life tomorrow.”

“And then I'd join you in the next. Creator, do you know how unlikely it is to become a contractor? I was told, and having the System pull your soul out of the ether to offer you work is a one in a million shot. And that's one in a million of the people who even qualify by having a Concept. You can still pay me though, I would like spending money.”

“I see. Did the people who helped you with your evolution talk to you a lot?”

“Oh yes, it's strange, they worked with me for years. But since I came out, the time I spent evolving seems like a dream. It's a little confusing.”

“Years! That's… I didn't know it was possible to compress years into a few weeks, no wonder the evolution took so long.”

“Oh yes, I had a lot to learn!”

The next ten minutes were spent listening as Thorn told me all about the time they spent learning. One of the things my companion revealed to me was that they had become certain that they preferred to be a male. It was interesting to me that he had a much stronger opinion on the matter than I did. When I'd found myself in a male body it had been one of the least important changes in my identity. Since then, I found that it suited me well enough, but I didn't feel tied to either gender.

Thorn was in the midst of telling me how he lived a short simulated life as a human when I heard Torill clear her throat.

“I hate to interrupt what has to be a thrilling conversation, but maybe you could walk and talk? I'd like to get to Brightwood before dark.”

“Oh! We were being rude! I apologize, it is entirely my fault. My uh… my…”

“Your employer?” Torill suggested.

“Yes! My employer and I were simply discussing my evolution. I'd hate to be responsible for delaying your return home.” Thorn looked, and sounded so proper as he spoke the Torill. He even ended the apology with a slight bow.

My mate giggled. “It's okay! Do you need help getting up here?” I heard Torill pat the wood beside her.

“No, thank you. There were two abilities that I was adamant that I should retain from my previous form. One was obviously the ability to communicate telepathically, the other was…” I watched as Thorn's feet lifted off the ground, he hovered above my head, and landed lightly on the cart. “... Perhaps slightly less useful in the long run, as I've come to understand displaying it would be less than ideal.”

“Yeah, that's not an ability you usually see an attendant have. When you get to a tier two area you could probably buy something enchanted with hover. They usually don't last long, and you'd come off as wasteful, but it's not uncommon for an attendant to display some degree of wealth.”

“I see! I'll do that, thank you for the advice.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“No problem”

I chuckled internally at my companion, I wouldn't have wanted to give up the ability to fly either.

Once they settled down, I started moving. I hadn't gotten very far when Islon sent me another message.

“Would you be willing to tell me about why he called you his creator? Your partner mentioned something about an intelligent weapon? He looks human, but he resonates strangely with my class, it's as though he is part plant.”

I sighed, and explained how I'd tried to grow a staff when I was new to my class. How I had been in a place filled with dense life mana, and the mana itself had taken over his creation. I was completely honest that I hadn't intended to make anything more than a weapon I could use in my demihuman form. I also asked him not to spread the information.

“I see, it sounds like you have quite the powerful class.”

“My class has changed quite a lot. I don't know if I could do that now if I tried, and I don't want to try. Thorn was a happy accident, but I feel responsible for him.”

“Good, you are a kind Lord, I already knew this, but it's good to have confirmation.”

I chuffed. “Lord? You said that like it meant something.”

“Yes, it is the designation the System has given your kind, ‘Lord of the Forest.’ did you not know?”

“I was called that once, but I thought it was just what demihumans called spirit beasts.”

“No, it is reserved for beasts who have managed to develop beyond the normal. Those who are empowered in a way that their core alone doesn't provide. I do not know what it is, but we beasts can sense it. I suppose the demihumans can as well. You have quite a lot of it, more since you returned from your rest after hunting the tree.”

“Oh. I see.” Concepts, Islon had to be talking about Concepts. It made a certain amount of sense. I hadn't realized it when I only had survivor, and kind and honest didn't do much to make me more powerful, but after getting the Concepts from the tree, I felt far more powerful.

I was nearly tireless thanks to Enduring. Strong didn't add anything to my strength stat according to the System, but I knew it made every point of strength mean more for me. I wasn't looking forward to testing Sturdy, but I had the feeling that I wouldn't have had to deal with a shattered shoulder if I had it when the earth monster hit me with that boulder after I killed the tree.

I kept trotting along, eventually Islon sent me another message, he let me know that he would tell no one of Thorn's origin. He seemed to have taken the information as a major secret. I thanked him.

An hour later I started to feel vaguely uncomfortable.

Two hours later I started to notice how thin the mana was getting.

Three hours later, I was in hell. It felt like I was gasping for breath. I felt the mana in my body being pulled on, sucked away from me. I managed to hold most of it in, but I still leaked a little.

Four hours later, I'd picked up the pace as much as I could. It seemed I was moving away from the horrible suction, but I was still in hell. There was no mana in the air.

I hadn't realized that I had never really been exposed to the teeth of hungry. I was always eating after all, but with no food in the air, I felt like I was going to die. I was so thoroughly, desperately hungry that drool began to drip from my mouth.

Five hours later I could think of practically nothing but food, it was all I could do to keep moving forward. I knew I wasn't actually starving, but I felt like I was.

Six hours later there was mana in the air again, but it was sparse, I called it to me as I moved, desperately trying to recover from the grip of the damned Concept.

Seven hours later, we were nearing Brightwood, and I was doing better. The mana in the air wasn't what it should be, and I could still feel it being pulled away from my call as I ate, but it was far better.

Looking back, I realized that the source of the pull was the other mana beast. Unless I missed my guess, it was in the last stages of creating its body. I wondered how Belua was keeping people from noticing.

I stopped when I was still out of sight of Brightwood. I knew I looked like a mess, this would be the very first time I walked into town openly in my true form. I knew it would be best of I didn’t look like I'd drooled all over myself and allowed it to dry with a coating of road dust.

I was about to shift when I felt a spell being cast, something about the flavor of the mana told me it was Thorn. When the spell finished, I felt my fur set itself straight. I looked down to see that the black coat of dust that had stained my paws had disappeared.

“Thanks!” I sent.

Thorn was suddenly in front of me holding a handful of mana crystals. They weren't worth much, but they definitely helped me throw off more of hungry's grip.

“Where'd you get those?” I had to know. If he could somehow generate mana crystals…

“From your pack. You needed them.”

My pack, which was definitely still in whatever state the System kept dismissed soulbound items in.

“How?”

“I'm soul bound too! I can reach into your soul space. Should I not? I'm sorry, I just felt how much you needed them when you spoke.”

“No, it's fine, but I'd really like you to explain how that works sometime.”

“Oh, um. I don't know if I can? It's just a place inside you. The System uses it for storage, but there's more than that. I know I'll go there if I die, or you can dismiss me like you do anything else that's soulbound.”

My eye twitched at part of that statement.

“You'll go there if you die?”

“Yep! And then you can build a new body for me. But it'll cost a lot. Like a whole lot. We should avoid that.”

“That's pretty amazing. I guess you said it though, didn't you? While I live, you live.”

“Yes, it's supposed to be a major perk of being a familiar. But I really don't want to experience death if we can avoid it.”

“I don't blame you.” I couldn't repress the full body shudder as I remembered dying as Angela, I cursed the fact that for whatever reason, that memory belonged to me. I hoped that however my new life ended, it wouldn't be the slow slipping away that I experienced before.

“Angel, is something wrong?” I heard Torill ask, she sounded worried, I couldn't blame her. I was shaking like a leaf, and she'd have no way to know why.

I took a few calming breaths, reminding myself that I was Angel, not Angela. I was healthy and strong, and I was a damned adventurer, there was no way I'd be dying in bed. For some reason that last part helped me come back to myself.

“I'm fine, I just had a bit of a bad memory. I'd rather not talk about it. Let's get going.” I sent the same message to all three of my traveling companions. Thorn nodded, and got back on the cart, I heard Torill start to say something, but stop herself, and just settle with “Okay.” Islon sent a feeling of understanding.

It wasn't long before I was approaching the Brightwood gates. I had the presence of mind to activate Belua's mark, just in case, but it seemed I didn't need it. There was a whole party of people in the robes I recognized from the goddess’ temple waiting for me.