“...And so, taking all of this into account, I’m pleased to award you with a perfect score for this mission. Congratulations.” Theora announced, smiling down at Samantha from the jugement dias. The young cultivator looked up at her, returning the wide grin with one of her own.
Karrenne harrumphed beside her–which drew Samantha’s gaze for a moment–but she otherwise remained silent. Because so many of Karenne’s suggestions were added to the scenario, she couldn’t protest Samantha’s success as favoritism this time.
“I’m glad to see you again Theora!” Samantha began happily, “I have a lot of questions I didn’t get the chance to ask before. I was wondering if–”
“Ah, ah, ah!” Karrenne tutted disapprovingly, “I believe you’ve asked quite enough questions for the time being. Wouldn’t you agree, Theora?”
Samantha’s dantian was visibly disturbed by Karrenne’s interruption. Confusion. Frustration. Irritation. Hurt. With the childlike guilelessness all new cultivators possessed, her dantian was put on display for anyone with an experienced eye to see. Without obscurement or shielding around her spiritual center, Theora could practically read Samantha’s thoughts from the sight of it alone. When the girl met her eyes, new feelings were added into the chaotic mix: curiosity, hope, and a fair amount of self-restraint. She was waiting to see how Theora responded.
Theora gave her an apologetic look, “I will answer your questions at a later time. There are other matters vying for my attention, I’m afraid.”
Outrage. Betrayal. The small seedling of trust that Theora had taken care to nurture in Samantha wilted slightly at the disappointing reply. It was understandable since their last meeting was cut short and Theora was failing to keep her promise this time around. It wasn’t so much to permanently damage their relationship, but it was a step backwards all the same.
Samantha looked at Karrenne again, and Theora saw suspicion and a hint of hostility arise in the swirling tumult of her dantian. Karrenne stared back at the ascendant, unaffected by the obvious show of dislike.
“...Very well.” Samantha said, bowing to both women. “Later, then.”
Grudging acceptance.
“Continue on the current path and I trust you will do well. I hope to see you again soon.” Theora encouraged. With those final parting words, she activated an art that teleported her and Karrenne back into their observation room.
----------------------------------------
Quest Reward Evaluation Completed!
Main objective reward: +9,000
Secondary objective reward: +9,000
Intel reward: +5,496
Enemy resources destroyed/captured: +3,123
Optional objective grades: A, A [A = x1.5, B = x1.4, C = x1.3, D = x1.2, F or Unpursued= x1.0]
First time completion bonus: x2.0
Perfect performance bonus: x1.25
Total: 149,737 points (26,620 * 1.5 * 1.5 * 2.0 * 1.25)
After her somewhat disappointing encounter with Theora, seeing such a hefty reward lifted her spirits. Counting the 21,495 points leftover from before, she now had 171,232 points to spend.
“Don’t forget!” Silas called up to her impatiently, “You promised me!”
Her excited companion was practically bouncing with energy.
She held up her hands in surrender and laughed, “I remember. We’ll pick the next scenario together.”
Silas had been terribly bored during the counterintelligence quest. There wasn’t much for him to do, so he spent a majority of the time cooped up in their small room guarding her body while she projected. She wished she could’ve let him out to explore the city while she worked, but she didn’t want to risk him drawing unwanted attention or leading anyone back to her location. Her projection abilities had kept her well-hidden the entire month, which meant Silas grew antsier with each passing day.
To appease him and give him something to look forward to, she promised that she’d let him help choose what scenario they tackled next. He at least wanted the freedom to fly or leisure outdoors, and didn’t want to be stuck in one place while unable to stretch his wings. He’d even been resistant to the idea of spending more time in the cultivation chamber before starting the next quest.
Contrary to Silas’s experience, Samantha had found herself deeply engaged with the scenario. It was exciting to discover hidden information, solve problems regarding how to sneak evidence back to her room, and feel like she was doing a service that mattered. The cult had worshiped a mole-like Divine Beast which was rumored to be large enough to drag entire cities beneath the earth. They’d been putting sigils in key places around the city to craft a wide-scale enchantment that would summon their god’s attention. They hoped their show of faith would earn the Divine Beast’s favor, and it would award them with greater powers or new abilities. Without her intervention, perhaps their planned ritualistic sacrifice would’ve succeeded.
Admittedly, overseeing her own agents during the later stages of her investigation had been unfamiliar and oftentimes stressful, but she’d learned a lot from it. Though initially wary or jealous of her success, she was able to build up a rapport with them. Competence and transparency went a long way, it turned out. Though she hadn’t bonded with them to the same degree that she did with Tobias, she still enjoyed interacting with them and was sad to leave them behind. Speaking of which…
She pulled up the shop interface and looked up the related entry.
Rift Reward Shop - Floor 2
Current Balance: 171,232
Rift Qi Reserve: 92%
Filters: [Rift] -> [Resource Buybacks]
Rarity: [Mundane], [Common], [Uncommon], [Rare], [Epic], [Legendary], [Mythic]
Enchantments: [Wood-Based], [Fire-Based], [Earth-Based], [Metal-Based], [Water-Based]
Name
Category
Rarity
Cost
Tobias Valund - Qi Construct (Upgradable)
Resource Buyback
Legendary
100,000
She had plenty of points now to purchase Tobias’s construct if she wanted, but she still had concerns about what exactly she’d be receiving. She’d really wanted to ask Theora about this first, but it appeared that she may not be able to get answers from her for a while.
When Theora had introduced Karrenne as her Observant, Samantha got the impression that Theora wasn’t happy about the woman’s presence. The words and tone she used were neutral and respectful, but the total lack of warmth Samantha had come to associate with her representative was unsettling. From the limited interactions she witnessed and her own experience with the stranger, she came to the conclusion that she didn’t like her much either.
Karrenne’s demeanor fluctuated between cold and dismissive, to patronizing. She was quick to interject when Theora spoke and seemed to offer unsolicited ‘advice’ that Samantha could only interpret as vaguely threatening. She’d expected her representative to push back against Karrenne’s rude behavior, but she showed no sign of being bothered by it. Theora would simply adjust to accommodate the woman’s suggestions and carry on as if she hadn’t been interrupted. Samantha wasn’t sure why Theora was letting herself be pushed around, but it seemed like she was in some sort of trouble with the woman. While she’d withhold final judgment, Karrenne was firmly placed in the ‘Do not trust’ category for the time being.
Returning her attention to Tobias’s construct, she came to the conclusion that there was really only one way to settle her doubts. Whether this would be the same ‘Tobias’ she’d spent a year with or just a version of him that could assist her and Silas in fights, she believed it would be a worthwhile purchase. He was classified as upgradeable and Legendary, after all.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
She spent the points and glanced around, trying to see him approaching the cloud platform from the vast sea of items. One spot off in the distance quickly caught her eye as it shone with bright, golden light. As it drew nearer the gleaming rays became blinding, and she had to shield her face until the glow subsided.
What awaited her wasn’t what she’d expected.
Floating in front of her was a small figurine carved with inhumanly precise detail. The black, stone-like material it was made from tickled at her memory for a moment before her mind meridian pulled up the image of the ascension obelisk she’d passed through over a year ago. She noticed it seemed to suck in the light around it in the same way the obelisk had. If it was truly made of the same substance then it would be impossibly durable, despite its delicate appearance. As far as she–and those in Yivesh–knew, the ascension obelisk was nigh indestructible, and even Peak Bronzes couldn’t leave a scratch on it.
The human-shaped item was only about two inches tall and would fit easily into the palm of her hand. Inspecting it more closely, the face on the item was certainly that of Tobias. The portrayal was so accurate that even the scar on the left side of his face and the frown wrinkles between his eyebrows were visible. It was like he had been turned to stone and shrunken down. He currently wore a simple guard uniform, a straight sword on his hip, and a helm held under his left arm, which matched what he’d been equipped with when she’d first found him.
She tentatively reached out her hand and grabbed hold of the item and she felt whatever force holding it aloft dissipate. It was weightier than she anticipated based upon its size and was also curiously warm to the touch.
You have come in contact with an unbound qi construct (Legendary)!
Construct features:
*Upgradable
**Bindable
***Qi Reserve Capacity: 0/300
Minimum Operational Cost: 1 qi/ minute
Classification - Combat (Peak Copper)
Specialization - Polearms
Base Equipment - Guardsman Set (Reinforced Cloth, Common Quality), Straight Sword (Common Quality)
Base Art(s) - Concussive Blast (Cost: 2 qi), Taunt (Cost: 1 qi/ 5 seconds)
Attributes - Endurance (24), Strength (19), Resilience(16), Agility (15)
*Construct upgrades can be purchased through any rift reward shop or added by an experienced enchanter
**Must be bound before activation. Warning: Any upgrades made to the object will be removed upon bond severance
***Warning: Activating a construct while it’s qi reserve is below full capacity will strain the user
Do you wish to create a spirit bond with this construct (current bond capacity: 1 of 2)? Y/N
Samantha was uncertain about what some parts of this notification meant. She hadn’t heard of bound objects or spirit bonds with objects before. She wondered if it was the same type of tie that she shared with Silas, what that meant if it was true, and why her current bond capacity was 1 of 2. She hadn’t even known cultivators were capable of more than one spirit bond at a time. However, none of these concerns were great enough to dissuade her from moving forward with her original intent. She selected ‘Y’.
She felt a slight tug on her dantian as a trickle of qi was pulled out of her center and absorbed into the figure. The feeling intensified as more and more qi was taken from her–10 at first, then 20 points worth–with no sign of slowing. Worrying at the pace of qi loss, she tried to stem the flow of energy leaving her only to be met with a sharp twinge of pain. 30 points were gone now and the number was still climbing. She started to panic as the figure increased the rate of qi consumption yet again, and she questioned if it would bottom out her qi pool before it was done. 40 points flew past in a blink, and it wasn’t until 50 points had been consumed that the siphoning abruptly stopped.
A thin blue thread solidified between her and the figurine and a new notification appeared.
Congratulations, you have successfully bonded with a qi construct (Legendary)!
Qi constructs have been treasured tools of cultivators for millennia. From humble cooks to deadly guardians, constructs come in all shapes and sizes, and can fulfill roles in nearly every facet of life.
Definitely a different experience from bonding with Silas.
Checking herself and her dantian for any hidden damage, she let out a relieved sigh. Everything was as it should be, though with the distinct addition of the new binding thread. Unlike her connection with Silas, the spirit bond with the construct felt more… impersonal. Detached, even. She got the sense that she could sever or reform the bond whenever she wanted without harm to herself, though the notification had warned her that any upgrades she gave Tobias would vanish.
Silas had been the one to form their bond originally and had used the energy from a broken spirit pearl to craft their binding thread. It seemed in this case she’d needed to shoulder the full burden of qi cost herself. She wished she would’ve been better prepared for the process, but she couldn’t bring herself to stay upset about it for long. All she needed to do was feed enough qi into the construct to fill its reserve, and then she could activate it for the first time and speak with Tobias again. She hoped that it was her friend that greeted her, but prepared herself for the possibility that he would have no memory of their time spent together. In that case, maybe she could befriend him a second time.
She started steadily funneling qi into the construct as she returned to the reward shop to see what upgrades were available. Now that she was bonded to Tobias’s construct there should be new options available to her. Sure enough, the Constructs tab–which was previously empty–now had several things to purchase.
Rift Reward Shop - Floor 2
Current Balance: 71,232
Rift Qi Reserve: 92%
Filters: [Rift] -> [Constructs] -> [Combat - Tobias Valund]
Upgrade Type: [Qi Reserve Capacity], [Equipment], [Capabilities], [Material], [Misc]
Upgrade
Upgrade Type
Cost
Hardened Leather Armor Set (Common)
Equipment
200
Bronze Glaive (Common)
Equipment
100
…
…
…
Samantha looked through the long list, impressed by the range of options available. She already knew that Tobias preferred polearms, so choosing a new weapon for him was a priority. Interestingly, the enchanted glaive that Tobias had used during the extermination scenario and had appeared in the [Resource Buyback] section also appeared here as an equipment upgrade. Due to being enchanted it was markedly more expensive than the common weapons, but was thankfully still among the most affordable options. She spent the 2,500 points with only a slight cringe of pain from the expense. Then, she felt the figure start to shift in her hand.
The stone seemed to become like clay as Tobias’s form expanded and warped. When the shape settled and the material hardened once more, Tobias now stood proudly with his new weapon. Held upright in his right hand–as if he was resting the butt of the weapon on the ground–was a perfect, tiny replica of the familiar glaive. As silly as it was, she could’ve sworn his expression also shifted to be just a smidgen happier. Of course, she could just be imagining the change. There was something magical about this process that delighted her and made her feel like a child again.
Encouraged by the elated feeling, she bought two more upgrades for him in quick succession. First, she purchased and equipped him with the enchanted heavy metal plate armor that he had worn for 3,000 points. Then, she gave him a heavy armor specialty to complement his equipment and pre-existing polearm specialty for 5,000 points. Again, the figure changed in her hand with the upgrades. Tobias now stood braced in a combat stance, holding the glaive aggressively like he was preparing to strike a blow against a nearby enemy. His expression definitely had been altered as well, the near-imperceptible smile replaced by a fierce countenance and battle-hungry grin.
Down to 60,732 points, she stepped away from the pillar to head off any more impulsive spending. She needed to save some of the balance for the next scenario she and Silas decided to undertake and wanted to get a better feel for what Tobias would be like before investing in further upgrades.
Taking a seat nearby, she continued filling the construct with qi so she’d be able to activate it as soon as possible. The process was completed in less than an hour. Keeping her qi pool so close to empty should have left her feeling drained, but she hardly noticed the fatigue with the excitement for what she was about to do. It was finally time to get one of her burning questions answered.
She’d never activated a construct before but the process was incredibly intuitive. As if the carved stone was informed of her will through the binding thread, as soon as she firmly focused on her desire to activate the construct it began to glow. Dense scripts covered the stone’s surface in an instant, so miniscule and tightly interwoven that they appeared like individual threads in a piece of cloth. It was too complex for her to even bother trying to understand it.
In the next moment, a heavily armored warrior appeared before her. The figurine still shone in her hand, but it had lost its unnatural warmth. The man looked around the cloud platform, confused at first. Each movement in the heavy armor was smooth, practiced, and precise, leading to minimal clanking or scraping of metal. When he finally caught sight of her, he stared in silence while she held her breath.
Please, remember.
He nodded his head towards her as a sign of respect, and Samantha couldn’t help but feel downtrodden. It was a standard greeting, lacking any of the fondness or familiarity she’d been praying for.
Then, he looked up and smiled, “Well, Samantha… what have you gotten me into this time?”
She jumped up from her seated position with a laugh and gave him a hug.