Chapter 19

More Dang Levels

The moment we walked out of the arch, and exited the arena, I felt the System pinging me. I stopped. "Ah Samuel, can you hold on a minute? I think I leveled."

The guildmaster stopped, turning to look at me. "Ah little brother, to be a goddess marked! Your path will be so much faster than my own."

I perked my ears looking and cocked my head to the side a bit. "Well, we did a lot of practice tonight…" I looked around for a place that would be comfortable to sit down. Standing seemed to be an awful idea when leveling.

"'A lot of practice', he says! Ha! My little brother has no idea what it takes for those of us who are not gifted with the Mother's blessing to level, does he?" The big bear man let out a belly laugh. Then looked at me curiously. "Little brother, has the System truly started your leveling process in this place? I am flattered that you have so much trust in me, I will watch over you if that is your desire. Or we could quickly find you a more private location."

I scratched the back of my head, something in his tone made it clear that leveling up around other people was a big deal. I understood why, when those new stats got applied you were pretty vulnerable. "I'm sorry, I just got excited. I trust you but, if it's inappropriate. I can wait, maybe you can show me to a good place?"

Samuel looked at me with kind eyes, filled with mirth. "Oh little brother, do not misunderstand me. I am honored to watch over you while you commune with the System. It is.." the large man hesitated for a moment, looking a little embarrassed. "It is something one would do for a member of their family. It would be you saying that you trust me as a brother in truth."

He was looking with such hopeful eyes after that. I barely knew him, but whether it was instincts, or just the kindness he'd shown me so far, I didn't hate the idea of having him for a big brother.

I nodded, and sat down on the ground right there. I had a feeling this was going to be a big one, I had done quite a lot since the last time the System had decided to reward me, I had no clue how the System decided when to do so. "Alright brother." I smiled. "I'll start." And I did, but I remembered to ask for a snapshot of my stats first, I wanted to think about where my free points were going to go. The System seemed to really rush those.

Name Angel

Race : Spirit Beast

Level : 21

Class : Adventurer (Wild Mage)

Str 30 Con 30

Agi 30 Dex 30

Int 82 Wis 75

Per 75 Cha 30

Congratulations

For taking many novel actions in accordance with your class, you have been rewarded by:

Level up ×10

Intelligence + 30

Wisdom + 30

Perception + 20

Free Stats + 30

"Ahh fuu.." I should have laid down. I fell over, it was just as bad as last time. When I came to, my brother bear was holding onto me. Looking very concerned. My brain and vision were still recovering from the System's work, but I could practically smell the worry he was projecting. Or maybe that was some odd form of System brain melt induced Synesthesia.

I closed my eyes again, everything felt raw. My core felt absolutely abused. Ten levels at a time was a bitch, I had to wonder if the System was cramming me with as many as it could.

"Little brother, are you alright? I've never seen a level have that effect on someone." Samuel's voice was so damn loud. I wanted to cover my ears, but I wasn't sure I could work my limbs just yet.

"Ten" I groaned. Not feeling up to being any more verbose.

"Ten! Little brother that's…" he said in an even louder voice, he sounded pretty shocked.

I groaned, and did indeed manage to put my hands over my ears.

"Oh little brother I am so sorry, perception must be a class stat, of course it is, I will endeavor to be quiet." The bear man's whisper was like thunder.

I just groaned again to get my point across, I knew I wasn't done.

Please focus on the desired placement of free stats

I knew I should probably add more to my class stats, but I just didn't want to know what that would feel like right now. So I decided to put 10 each in strength, agility and constitution. I seemed to end my fights by bashing things with my stick anyway, and constitution would keep me alive

30 free points distributed, congratulations

My whole body went limp, I felt like bugs were crawling under my skin and eating me from the inside. It also felt like my skin was being ripped apart at the same time. It was torture, I cursed the System for being a sadist. The pain forced a sound from my mouth. It was something between a scream and a roar, but it was also neither of those things. I didn't have enough working muscles for the requisite volume.

At some point I passed out, it was a mercy.

When I woke I was in an unfamiliar room. I would have looked around, but I woke up feeling like I was back in the hospital bed. I felt a moment of terror that everything had been a dream, it passed when I heard Samuel take a breath to speak.

"Little brother! I was so worried. You were unconscious for many hours. I moved you to your room, I hope that was not a betrayal of your trust. I have never seen someone gain so many levels at once. Has it truly been so eventful since the last time you were safe and relaxed?" He spoke quietly.

So, that was it, the System wouldn't give you levels until you were safe and relaxed. I thought about it, and it seemed to be how it had been.

Since the last time I had leveled, I had done a lot of mana circulation, met Hoyt, took that long cart ride, dealt with those brigands, had the stand off with the guards, made that walk through town. Been completely smooshed to submission by Samuel's mere presence. Then there was the spar, and the training. Not all of that was Wild Mage stuff, but I'd damn sure had an adventure.

So I just nodded.

I pulled up my stats to see where I stood now.

Name Angel

Race : Spirit Beast

Level : 31

Class : Adventurer (Wild Mage)

Str 40 Con 40

Agi 40 Dex 30

Int 112 Wis 105

Per 95 Cha 30

I broke 100 with intelligence and wisdom! The numbers seemed to indicate that I was pretty smart. I wondered if it actually affected my ability to think. I wasn't sure, it's really hard to judge your own intellect, but I didn't think so.

I did feel and see the mana much more strongly after the levels. Perhaps a bit too strongly. My mana sense was not active, and I could feel a variety of different elements brushing against me. I could feel the siren's call to join with them. To experience the altered vision of the world that any one of them would eagerly share with me. I was tempted, I didn't remember ever being very aware of discomfort while under the influence of mana. But I told myself that now was not the time.

I distracted myself by pushing myself to a sitting position, being very careful to move slowly. I took a brief moment to look around the room. The place was huge, and I realized with a start that the bed I was in was enormous. My eight foot tall muscular demihuman form fit in it like a child.

Samuel must have seen the look on my face because I heard him chuckle quietly. "I thought you would like a space to safely be yourself. So I exercised my privilege as Guildmaster to assign you a room where you could do so. The room is quite well warded, no one will be able to spy on it."

I was touched. I was still getting used to the idea of my other form. When I was in it, it was the most comfortable, and right I ever felt in my new life. But it was also foreign, and strange, I felt like an entirely different being when I assumed it. It was like the part of me that was still that human woman from Earth fell mostly silent. That same part of me was constantly humming a tune in the back of my mind, worrying about how this new life was changing who I was. I was doing a pretty good job ignoring it most of the time, but it made changing into my beast form both enticing, and disconcerting.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I'd probably make use of it either way. It would be good to stay acclimated to that form. It was a part of my new life, and to deny it was to reject the second chance I had been given. I consciously pushed away the concerns of the old me, so what if my new life changed me. My old life had changed me too.

I roused myself from my introspection with a huff, and had a look around the mostly empty room. The space was enormous, the ceiling was high, there was a distinct lack of furniture beyond the bed and an obscenely large standing mirror set near the wall. As a bedroom it was ludicrous, it could double as a ballroom.

"Why is there a room this big?" I wondered aloud.

"Ah, well, a long time ago there was a half giant in the guild, the bed has been in our storage space since he moved on. We also have the spatial enchantments to expand living quarters at will. Most of the guild members have fairly large spaces, for one reason or another." He waved a hand at the room. "But this room is somewhat special in that it was constructed with the, ahem, heft, of a larger race in mind."

I chuckled. That was probably a good idea. It made me wonder just how heavy my Mana Beast form was.

I maneuvered my legs over the side of the bed, still moving ever so carefully. Going from 30 to 40 in both agility and strength was going to make things interesting. I felt my staff through the bond I had with it, I knew it was in the room so I reached out a hand, calling it.

When it flew across the room, The old bear chuckled. "I'd have gotten that for you, you didn't have to use your mana."

I didn't respond to him, because the System was pinging me again.

Living Wood Thorn Staff has been rewarded with level × 10

Living Wood Thorn Staff needs you to pick a trait.

1. Elemental Absorption

2. Size Shifting

3. Controlled Flexibility

4. Envenomed Thorns

5. Elemental Storage

6. Autonomous Spellcasting

Choices will reappear every ten levels.

I raised an eyebrow, maybe it would just… level with me now?

I thought about the abilities, they all seemed pretty darn good. So I decided to try to ask the staff. It didn't communicate with me very often, but simple though it was, it had its own mind. I wanted to give it control of its own destiny if it would take it. So I tried to send it my thoughts on what the choices were.

I was happy when it had what felt like an actual opinion. It wanted absorption, it wanted it a whole lot. So that's what I picked.

A moment later I felt it tugging on my mind.

I tried to get an idea of what it wanted, I wasn't sure. Then it sent a sensation through the bond. I felt like someone was pouring cold water all over me.

I shivered a little reflexively.

Samuel, who I had managed to forget was there, spoke up. "Ah little brother? I know you have had a difficult experience, but you have been quiet for some time, are you having some troubles?"

I raised a finger. I reached out to the little bit of water mana I could find in the air it was difficult, but I could manage a connection. When I asked if it would mind joining with my staff friend, it and all the surrounding droplets of water mana flowed into my weapon with a quick affirmative.

My staff sent me a feeling of satisfaction. I was curious, so I asked why it made the choice it did. It sent me the sensation of burning alive, and the sensation of terror.

My eyes opened wide, my poor little friend. Janus scared it as much as he did me. I sent my commiseration.

The guildmaster cleared his throat. "Something to do with that staff of yours, little brother? I see you staring at it quite intently, and it just glowed blue for a moment. You need not answer, I am simply curious."

I nodded, as I ran my hand down my weapon fondly. Samuel already knew one dangerous secret about me, I thought I might as well add another. Maybe he'd have some advice on how to raise it. "This staff is special, from what I gather, very special." I hesitated, then decided to go for it, the man seemed to take what I was very seriously. "It's what's called livewood, it can level, and it can think."

Samuel's eyes widened, and he looked at my weapon with great interest. "Can it talk?"

I shook my head. "Just.. ideas and feelings so far"

"I suppose it is as young as you are?" Samuel ventured.

"Younger, it was born for me." I looked it over. It hadn't physically changed since I made it. I wondered if that would last. It was always bursting with life mana, I was sure that if it wanted to, it could eventually change its form. But it seemed happy as it was.

I felt it send its happiness to me at that thought. It was strange that it was listening in on my private thoughts. But for some reason, it didn't really bother me.

"That is quite amazing, I gather it is communicating with you right now?"

I nodded "it just leveled, it always seems more active after that. Oh! Do you know a place where I can find some good soil?"

"That is an interesting shift in topic. But yes, we have a garden, why?" The great bear man tilted his head, looking quite confused.

"It is alive, its roots work. I can keep it going with mana, but I'm told it's also good to plant it from time to time." I got up, and using my staff to make sure I kept my balance with all the new stats, grabbed the pot from my pack, and showed it to Samuel.

He gave it a peculiar look, and gestured to take it. "I will fill it with soil for you little brother. You will follow me, and I will show you where to find food. Ah, do you have a restricted diet? Some beastkin do, it is not something that would raise alarm."

"I prefer meat, I don't think anything bad will happen if I expand my horizons, but I'm unsure how much I would enjoy anything else." My instincts craved meat, but I knew I could go so far as eating grass to fuel myself in a pinch. I was just worried about how it would taste with my new body.

The bear man nodded. "We can try to experiment with it in private if you like. I will warn you that I have heard the results of attempting to eat the wrong food can be quite uncomfortable at best. Not to mention how a fully carnivorous set of teeth like yours may make chewing some things more work than it is worth."

Samuel started to head towards the door, obviously expecting me to follow. "It's your choice to even try of course, but that's for later." He touched a spot above the latch and it glowed for a moment and popped open. "We will head to the, shall we say, beer and meat side of the Guildhall. I always make sure to keep the pantry there well stocked. All guild members in good standing are free to take from it as they desire. Do try to inform me if something runs out. Our help moved away from Brightwood recently. Until we find replacements everything is self serve, I'm afraid. Nefen has taken it upon himself to make sure a good meal is available for everyone for breakfast and dinner. Gathering together for his meals has become something of a tradition for those of us who remain."

As he led me out the door, he showed me where to insert my mana so it would be keyed to me until I wasn't assigned to the room anymore. I did so, looking around the wide hallway. It seemed there was a floor above us, I could see walkways above leading to rooms up there. In this section alone, I counted fourty rooms. So much empty space, I imagined what this place must have been like before the war.

It was a short walk to the door out of the guild apartments, and into the Guildhall. I noticed several other apartment buildings in the compound.

"How many people were conscripted?" I asked.

"Too many, the king will bring ruin upon his entire race soon, mark my words. This guild chapter used to house over 300 individuals, now, with you, we have 10 members. It is similar for all the guilds of the city that can offer any contribution to an army. Some have been completely cleared out. All serving their country, or finding better fortunes elsewhere."

He went silent after that, a look of immense sadness in his eyes as he led me to the "beer and meat" kitchen. It smelled divine. My stomach growled loud enough that I'm convinced I heard the cookware rattle.

Samuel showed me where the meat was stored, I recognized it as a walk in freezer. It used magic instead of electricity of course. They even had a fridge, "for leftovers" he said.

Then he showed me a lovely magic device that defrosted the meat almost instantly, and warned me to use it before I cooked anything. He also made sure to stress that I was to cook my food, mainly because of how strange the humans found it when someone ate raw meat. I agreed easily of course. I could eat raw meat, and even found it tantalizing now, the former human in me was still disgusted with the idea.

He quizzed me about my appetite, and we ended up picking an absolutely gigantic cut of meat that looked like it came from the ribs of a literal monster of a cow. The bone sticking out of it was as large as my forearm. I was practically drooling at the prospect of consuming it.

We left experimenting with spices for later. The guildmaster showed me how to use an absolutely wonderful magical oven that would have it ready to eat in ten minutes.

Then he instructed me to take the food to the bar to eat, and informed me he would be back in a while. As Samuel was about to exit he looked like he realized something, and warned me to drink only water, and not take anything else if it was offered to me. We didn't know if I would have trouble keeping it down, he said. I personally think he was just afraid of what would happen if I got drunk.

After he left, I spent my time waiting, eating, and circulating my mana. When I'd gained those ten levels I gained quite a lot of mana capacity, and had a lot to refill. Plus I was hungry, and I liked the combination of spicy, sweet, and meaty with just a hint of mint and wheat bread that I was getting in the kitchen. I licked my chops, very ready for real food.

When the meat was done I used a serving platter as a plate, and wandered out of the kitchen with my meal as my newly declared brother had suggested. Janus was there, keeping company with the other shirtless man. It seemed everyone else had left. It was rather late at this point. Or perhaps it was early? I lost track of time in the training with Samuel, not to mention after.

"Angel! Come meet Martin!" I heard Janus shout. I shrugged and headed over to their table.

"Martin, Angel's a good sort, I can tell, we had a spar, and he won! I can't wait to go again, I'm sure I can take 'em next time!" Janus declared enthusiastically.

While he talked I had a minor crisis, taking in the flimsy chair available at the table. I was trying to decide if I should just eat standing up, but then that would seem kind of rude.

"They really aren't as bad as they look. I bet it holds up just fine." Martin said with a grin, apparently seeing my conundrum.

I shrugged, set my meat on the table, and grabbed the chair. I gingerly sat down. It was definitely not a pleasant experience, but the chair held, even if it did creak a little bit. My tail was not in a comfortable position, but I didn't want to move because the chair was scaring me.

I shifted a bit, my meal calling to me, I reached for it, despite my misgivings about my fragile seat. The chair broke the very moment I leaned forward. I yowled in surprise and not a little bit of pain from my poor abused tail.

Martin burst out laughing. My ears went back, my tail lashed and I let out a hiss at him, all without any of those actions pausing at my brain for consent.

Martin raised his hands with a goofy grin on his, currently to my perception, very punchable face. "Peace Angel, I didn't mean nothing by that. Just funny to see is all. I'm sure it weren't fun to have happen." He reached out a hand to help me up.

The moment I took his hand, I felt a mild static shock. I growled because I saw that it was definitely some sort of elemental energy. Not an accident. I yanked my stinging hand away from him, my nostrils flared, my lips pulled back in a snarl. "I'll get up on my own, thanks." Fucker was lucky I didn't trust my magic use enough to get him back. I got up, grabbed my dinner and proceeded to display just how sharp my teeth were. I ate the whole whole thing, bone and all, in under two minutes while staring him straight in the eyes.

"Ha, I'm sorry, it's just something I do to new folks. Nothing personal. Usually it's good for a laugh." I think he was sweating a bit, good.

I grinned widely at both Janus and Martin, mostly focusing on the latter."Pleasure to meet you Martin, but I have had a long day, and I am not at my best. Do tell Samuel I went to my room would you?" I made sure to put a little purr in my voice. Just to mess with him.

I stalked out of the room, intentionally swishing my tail. I'd already cooled off. But he didn't have to know that. I'd absolutely get him later when I didn't have to worry about overdoing my magic and accidentally hurting someone.

As I closed the door behind me I heard Janus say "Way to go jackass, great first impression. I swear one of these days someone is going to punch you for that, and I'll fuckin laugh."

The door was shut and I was already on my way to the apartments but I still heard Martin laugh, and say "Pierce already did."