Kaden kneeled at a bench in the temple of the Spring God, praying that Trella wouldn’t kill him. Eve was not the problem. Ashi was furious. Sara muttered about paperwork and the priest had taken one look at his arm and run to fetch his superiors—then theirs. Now, he was undergoing a very expensive treatment with moderately effective results. It had cost him six gold—all his gold from the Domain of Fire—and even worse, the attention of a God.
Gods and Demon Lords felt exactly the same, and that told him more about Gods than they probably would have wanted him to know. The room was festooned with green vines and pink flowers which the Priest swore were evidence of Ehuhehaheh’s blessing. The god manifested as a impossibly brilliant green light that made Kaden’s eyelids itch. The scar he’d given himself when he was seven burned as it tried to heal repeatedly.
Kaden had tried to pronounce the god’s name correctly four times and given up and at this point, was just hoping the god could heal the damage to his forearm. One armbone showed clean and white, raw muscle covered the other and tendons flexed under the unburned portion of his hand.
“You may pray to Ehihuhaheya for healing now, if you seek the wisdom of spring and growth,” the High Priest said. “He has descended to his altar. Rest and heal.”
Blood vessels knit themself into place and skin that was previously white turned pinker. According to his understanding, Kaden didn’t need faith in the god himself, the Priests offered more than enough of that, and the phalanx of priests bowing the ever-shifting entity at the head of the inner sanctum had more than enough.
Until the healing stopped.
“Ehuheyohu asks why you do not seek his wisdom?” The High Priest made it clear there was a right thing to do and a wrong one.
“I really don’t want to offend a Healing God. All my questions are probably offensive. Like, ‘Does he know the Rat God?’ or ‘What’s the biggest difference between a Demon Lord and a Healing God?’ Besides the eyes. Ass-modeus was nothing but eyes.”
The High Priest turned pale. “He seeks only to bask in your presence, Mighty Hihehuhehe.”
The flowers surrounding Kaden died—then surged back as the entity spoke.
Kadne was much more interested in the fine layer of skin slowly covering his arm. Like a really great sandwich, skin was one of those things you really missed when you didn’t have it.
“You are most blessed,” The High Priest said. “The source of life and regrowth has taken an interest. He asks if you know the name is ‘Asmodeus.’ And why you have the Rat God’s tail. And why there’s a [Match Lizard] on your shoulder.”
“Ass-modeus makes more sense if you’ve met the guy, the Rat God tried to kill me and my party, and you just can not make a good sandwich without any bread.” Kaden looked to the Match Lizard, sensing its emotion. It was a simple beast. Everything it desired could be handled with a savanna full of dried grass.
Flowers grew bright and shining as the god spoke at length, in increasing passion and urgency.
“Apparently the Rat God owes Ehahahahehu over a bet made centuries ago, but every time he stops by to collect, the Rat God isn’t there, off spreading plague or manifesting as an incarnation to murder adventurers. And also he wants you to know that eating a [Match Lizard] will not grant you a talent.” The High Priest began bowing again. Pleading in a strange language.
Again, the entity spoke.
This time, Kaden grimaced as muscles writhed and stretched, tendons grew white instead of brown.
You have received a Quest: Regrow the Withered Seed. Reward - Upgraded Title Effect. Regrow the withered seed with the blessing of Ehehehahehihu to show the world that growth is the ultimate way of healing.
The god was gone.
Kaden’s arm wasn’t even completely healed. Skin covered the place where sheer magic had destroyed muscle, tendons and bones, but it was shrunken in and scarred. Kaden tested and the hand at least opened and closed, though his grasp was weak. He stood and wiped sweat off his face. “Thank you for your care, and pass my thanks on to Hehuhihuha or whatever is name is at this second.”
Eve, Ashi and Trella waited outside the temple. Trella didn’t eve pause as she clasp his hand and studied the arm. “What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s a wound from pure magic. The [Match Lizard] made me fireproof but I miscalculated the sheer amount of power the scale would hold.” He shared the Quest. “I think this is the key to really healing it. The question is, ‘what seed am I supposed to grow?’”
Ashi ran her fingers over the sunken, scarred portion of his arm. “Fate will make it known. Can you fight?”
“Probably, but my grip isn’t as strong. I’m probably going to need a glove, or a gauntlet, or something to help with my grip.” Kaden made a fist and winced. “It shouldn’t hurt.”
“That’s new skin and fresh tendon. Give it time to stretch,” Eve said. “Sara went ahead to the Commission to hold our place. Was it worth the harm to your hand?”
A second tier-two skill.
Kaden knew of three and now he had two.
[Beast Leader] was still not available and the System had stated as much, but he didn’t know why. “I think in time it’s going to be entirely worth it.”
Trunistan didn’t have a crafting commune, they were a crafting commune. City Plazas were decorated with statues of crafters at work. Glowing Mana Signs proclaimed the winner of differnt crafting competitions.
Guards on the street corners weren’t threatening, they were shockingly helpful. The moment one knew where the party was headed, they had an escort helping them navigate the crowded streets and ensuring that above all, the moment the Commission ruled, the rights would be released.
“It’s a colleseum,” Eve said. “They built a sporting event around watching people’s craft rulings. How peaceful and idylic—”
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“Boring,” Sara said. “The word you’re looking for is boring. ‘Look! Tinius Crochet-Hook Hand retrieved some legendary quality bat droppings! I can’t wait to see who gets to sort it. I mean, yes, I can. We would all go Kaden if we were stuck here.”
“There is glory beyond battle,” Ashi said. “There is worth in pursuing learning and skill.”
Trella grabbed Kaden’s hand. *Never thought I’d be a fan of libraries but Ashi’s got it right.*
“They have crafting schools,” Kaden said. “Maybe before we leave I’ll take a course on smithing.”
“Shhhhhh! We’re almost up.” Sara stood near the front of a line as the group in front of her were rewarded for some enchanted ring.
Their halfling wasn’t happy with the offer. “It turns you invisible! How is three gold fair? Watch!”
He dashed forward and took the ring,
And fiddled with his pants.
“Ooooh. I thought it would go on his finger,” Trella said.
One of the other party members shouted. “Where is Baldo? I can’t see him!”
“Me either,” said the [Ranger] loudly. “Must be invisible again.”
Kaden started to raise his hand, but Trella’s elbow said this was a private conversation, just that party and fifty thousand spectators, as the halfling snuck around the table to steal a gold piece while the Guards watched him in confusion.
“See!” The halfling thrust his hand into his pants and then held aloft the ring. “And there’s this thing it does if you put it in the fire. It gets hot. Ask me what I’ve got in my pockets. There’s a hole in the right pocket.”
A tall, thin woman at the end of the table rose. “We miscalculated. Your treasure should definitely stay in your pants—hands. Keep the gold. Please. You’d be doing us a favor. The Commission has ruled, please leave. And keep Baldo a thousand paces from any Crafting School.”
The crowds around them roared in violent approval, casting streamers of yarn and origami cranes out into the colluseum.
A voice boomed out accross the colloseum: “Party Leaders: Neshad and Osharam. Up next, we have the victorious team of mages who faced the Fire Domain and emerged unscathed and positioned to be the most powerful mages of their generation!”
A flying platform descended into the arena, circling so that the Mabies could wave to the crowd.
“Beneath the platform lies a sky skiff!” Ashi said. “I know how to pilot it, if you wish to steal it and make an escape.”
Sara’s glare said that wasn’t happening. “Look at them. Is it just me, or was Osharam powerleveled? I’m showing twenty five on [Identify].”
Kaden had heard—and been warned—about paying for power leveling. It produced adventurers with no field experience with their skills and boosted them toward threats they wouldn’t be ready for. A single level, particularly one that hit a significant floor like twenty five, wasn’t something he’d begrudge anyone. “She’s level twenty five and doesn’t understand party mechanics. I hope she’s put in a strong party.”
The crowd fell silent as the party loot appeared, and flying eyeballs zoomed through to project closeups of so many treasures.
Still, it was good form to applaud as the Fire Boa’s fangs appeared surrounded by dozens upon dozens of minor treasures, each hosted in a crush velvet pillow or floating in a crystal cube so it could rotate.
Then the spotlight switched off of the Mabies, tracking, instead, a wide older woman wearing a plain leather tunic and heavy work gloves.
“We present, for your crafting pleasure, [BioForge Carena!], the undisputed champion of BioForgers, she will take possession of the Fire Boa’s fangs!”
The stadium shook as people cheered and jumped up and down clapping. “Who knows what twin wonders she will forge? But they’ll be long and sharp and infused with fire, so there’s only a limited number of possibilities.”
“You won’t find out until this year’s Forging Games,” the woman said gruffly, accepting the fangs. “But just you wait.”
One by one, artificers accepted Crystal Goblin chunks. Not apprentices, these were master [Artificers]. Rock Roller shells, some sort of black goo Kaden didn’t recall them picking up, the parade went on for nearly an hour.
“We should be up next,” Sara said.
They were not up next.
Up next was a Party of two who had slain an immature Tyrantor while it attacked a village. The juvenile beast filled a third of the colluseum, and the [Ranger] and [Healer] took it in good stride as crafter after crafter was given pieces of the animal.
“Let me offer a wager,” Eve said. “We are up next, but my wager is that we will not be.”
Trella handed her a handfull of gold. “I’ll take that bet. Also I just sneaked a peek at the schedule, but a bet’s a bet.”
The lights went out in the stadium. The air popped and Kaden tensed.
“You’re up. Follow the green gems,” A guard said.
In the floor of the stadium, green gems led in a path that took them out toward the center. When the lights came on, the stadium floor was covered in treasures. The [Burning Dream Queen]’s corpse lay on a patform, and to one side, the [Ash Spider] spinerettes, and on another, a ring of silver orbs. Probably teeth. Crystal Goblin hearts, carapaces.
Kaden had felt [Skills] that turned sound into a weapon.
This was pure collective chant.
“By order of King Evandor himself, and with the blessing of the Commission, [Legendary Crafter Zi’zi’zi’ri’x] will craft a [Spinning Wheel] for Natu herself!” The voice came from high above.
Legendary Crafter Too-Many-Apostrophes was a barrel of a man with stubby arms and short legs and practically no neck, resembling the Tavern Tale dwarves. He took a bow to the crowd for every unpronouncable apostrophe and collected the spinerettes. “This will be the item of my life. The key to reaching level one hundred. And for you, Natu, the tool from which you will weave legends.”
Natu was the woman with yellow golden skin and oily black hair who wore robes woven of pure mana. If the crowd loved Zi-whatever, they adored Natu, chanting her name.
“Get on with it,” Trella said. “What do we get? We’re the ones who dragged all that back.”
Instead, announcers spoke about the quality of the mysterious metal teeth, speculated about what would be made from Crystal Goblin hearts, and spoke in mock-hushed tones about the fate of the [Burning Dream Queen] corpse.
Trella burst into existence among them. “I snuck a peak at the schedule again, then went into the stands. Who wants roast lamb skewers and pineapple juice refreshers? Calm down, I brought enough for everyone.”
“I know what I want to do,” Eve said. “My [Cooking] skill should be high enough level to empower my dishes with mana but every time I try, they explode. I’m going to find infused recipes and have someone teach me.”
“Same,” said Trella. “Except with poisons, not food. And not cooking. And exploding’s normal.”
Ashi kept her gaze on the ground. “It is unlikely they have what I need, but I will see.”
Sara waved away Kaden’s gaze. “I need nothing equipment-wise. I would love training with my new skills but that’s not going to happen here, in a city focused on Crafting.”
Almost everything Kaden needed wasn’t a thing.
You have received 1x Legendary Equipment Voucher.
You have received 3x Epic Equipment Voucher.
You have received 214x Unusual Equipment Voucher.
You have received 385x Common Equipment Voucher.
Not yet determined: [Burning Dream Queen].
Kaden read the notices. “We should make a list of what we need and what we can get. Trella already has higher grade equipment. Ashi?”
“I need only spell book pages, or the hide of a Beast.” Ashi sounded saddened. “I received a Common Equipment Voucher.”
“Two Epics, Six Rares,” Sara said with pride.
Trella laughed. “All epics. Ten of them. I’m going to need to book Lark Willis to build me an actual lab.”
“Wait.” Kaden said. “You all received different notices? That wasn’t a ‘party loot’ thing?”
He shared the logs.
“We’re supposed to wave,” Sara said. “And apparently we need to accept a [Contract]. Wave people!”
Kaen summoned Trinity and Vip as a spotlight shone down on him, and he waved to everyone while Vip dashed in circles. The crowds cheered even louder—at which point Kaden realized they were actually cheering for a team of Crystal crafters who had taken possession of the crystal goblin hearts.
Trella bumped into Kaden, frozen, not even moving as the guards urged them forward. He put a hand on her. Her skin was slick with sweat and she trembled. “I see him. He didn’t fool me. He might have fooled all of you, but I see him.”
“Who?”
When Trella answered, her voice shook. “I don’t know his name. I don’t know his class. I don’t know anything about him except that he’s a [Slaver]. And the System just gave me a quest to free every one of his slaves. Killing him’s a bonus. But I definitely want him dead, too.”