A black and white window appeared in front of my eyes.

[Negotiation Protocol Session 68,732,165 has begun. User, state your request.]

“I need to exceed the max slots for [Skill Dominance] to slot [Wall of Force] right away.” I pleaded despite myself. “I would also be happy to just remove [Minor Magnesis] and replace it with [Wall of Force].”

[Request Denied. Unable to manipulate Skill, [Skill Dominance] in that manner due to restrictions put in place by [Administrator: 01], codename [Dominus], 29,758 years ago.]

I saw a spark of hope in that. “I’m her Chosen, she’d let me do it to save my companions!”

[Irrelevant. [Dominus] has no sway within the [Tower of Trials - Chalcedony]. Instead, the User will deal with System entity 4,366,842 directly.]

“What can I do to get access to something that could save my friends right now?” I pleaded despite myself. “Please, tell me.”

[Renounce your name and family to become a [System Enforcer] for the next three thousand, two hundred forty-eight years.]

“Never.” I surprised myself with how vehement that came out. “Ask that again and I’ll find a way to get even.”

[Understood. Calculating…new protocol detected. Change made by [Administrator: Dominus]. Audio change log playing now.]

“You’re in a tough spot, Artie.” Dominus’ voice was despondent. “Where you are now, I can’t help you directly, but I can make it so that the System can help you. The cost will be high, far higher than if I were able to help on my own, so be sure you can live with what you’re giving up before agreeing. We both know you lead with your heart before your head sometimes.” She chuckled. “I’ve approved modification to [Skill Dominance] as long as my Chosen and the System are in agreement on the cost. Good luck, you’re closer than you think to a–”

Her voice cut off as a new window appeared in front of my face.

[Initial request: ‘I need to exceed the max slots for [Skill Dominance] to slot [Wall of Force] right away. I would also be happy to just remove [Minor Magnesis] and replace it with [Wall of Force].’]

[Proposed Cost: Reduce available slots to two, permanently, with no growth possible.]

Just two slots forever? There’s no way…I can’t do that. My dwarven blood surged. System, it’s time to bargain.

“Counter offer, reduce slots available to three for one month.” I didn’t think it would work, but it was worth starting low to preserve the use of the Skill as best as possible.

[Proposal denied. Counter Proposal: Reduce available slots to three immediately, with one slot regained when fully mastered.]

That’s closer, but three slots is still not going to be enough with how hard it’s going to be to level once I get past thirty. I need to think of something…I’ve got it.

“Counter offer, reduce slots available to five until fully mastered and lose ten stolen Skills permanently, with no way to regain them. Ever.”

It would hurt, but I had enough chaff Skills I figured I’d be able to forget ten of them without really feeling it too much. Unlike every time before, when the response was immediate, this time the response took a few seconds.

[Proposal denied. Counter Proposal: Reduce Available slots to five until fully mastered and lose twenty stolen Skills, permanently, at random.]

“At random!?” My eyes bulged in a fit of rage. “You want to gamble with my friends’ lives?” Steam practically came from my nostrils as I considered the System’s request for another moment.

I can’t agree to a full random removal, but what if…

“Counter proposal, final offer or I do my best to survive this scenario on my own.” I was done negotiating with something so much larger than me that it couldn’t see the trees for the forest. “Reduce available slots to five until fully mastered and lose twenty stolen Skills at random, permanently, with two caveats.” I snarled. “Empty my current slots and… I get to protect five Skills from the mass deletion.”

Time passed in the weird pseudo time stop state I was in, though I watched as the flames crept ever closer to Raiju and Jaegan’s prone form. My mind raced for things I could possibly do to save them, but every single one had me losing at least one of them, even with sacrificing myself to body block for Jaegan while blocking Raiju with a huge [Hydrosphere]. I might not die, but I wouldn’t be much good after getting hit like that by a [Flame Golem].

I think it was ten minutes, but it could have been longer, before the System got back to me.

[Offer Accepted: Choose your five protected ‘stolen’ Skills so the deletion can begin.]

I really need to figure out which of these I should protect. I mentally pulled up a System window and laid out the list I was still debating along with the reasoning for each of them.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

[Skills to Protect:

Wall of Force - This is a no brainer, considering what I’m giving up to get access to it.

Arcane Cannon - I’ve seen what this can become and it would suck to lose access to it. Plus, I don’t have to aim it, so it barely counts as using combat magic.

Sunlance - Grandpa’s favorite basic attack and the most powerful spell I have access to.

Serene Glade - Best Unique I have access to. Undeniably useful for privacy reasons alone.

Healing Light - I’ve been using it for the better part of a month and it just keeps coming up.

Sanguimancy and Healing Waters - Similar, but very different healing Skills.]

Obviously [Wall of Force] gets protected, so that leaves me four more slots. I have to keep at least one healing ability, I don’t have enough potions not to, but I have three available. [Healing Light] is weak now, but has no requirements to use and isn’t invasive. [Sanguimancy] and [Healing Waters] are both more powerful, but [Sanguimancy] has the whole blood thing going on and not everyone is going to like me using that on them, especially not if they have some sort of powerful bloodline. [Healing Waters] would be a shoo in if it weren’t for the fact that it needs so much water to make it work, last I checked it needs twenty-five gallons at least, which it consumes half of to work one time.

Do I go with power or ease of use? Memories of Mom and Dad telling me stories of their adventures, punctuated by the healing from Aunt Megara made the choice easy. Powerful healing is too important to risk losing,[Sanguimancy] it is. I guess that means I have my answers.

“I’m ready.” I waited a beat before beginning. “Protect [Wall of Force], [Sanguimancy], [Sunlance], [Serene Glade], and [Arcane Cannon].”

[Protected Skills Acknowledged. Stolen Skill Deletion Completed.]

My whole world swam for a moment as I felt part of my die as I lost so many stolen Skills at once. As I was recovering, a new window appeared in front of me that told me what I’d lost. In the end, I wasn’t pleased, but it could have been worse.

[Deleted Stolen Skills:

Charming Gaze

Corona

Eavesdrop

Guardian’s Bond

Gust

Gust of Wind

Healing Light

Healing Waters

Minor Magnesis

Mold Earth

Obscuring Mist

Photosynthetic Burst

Pyrotechnics

Runesmithing

Searing Light

Silent Step

Solar Deflection

Solar Flare

Spark

Sunbeam]

Ugh, losing [Mold Earth] and [Runesmithing] kind of sucks, but the rest I think I can live without. I’d have liked to learn [Runesmithing] later in life, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. As for the healing Skills I have left, it’s almost like the System could hear what I was thinking and took the ones I didn’t pick, which doesn’t exactly feel fair.

As I mentally shook my head, I pulled up the list of my remaining ‘stolen’ Skills and took stock.

[Dominated Skills:

Aqua Slice

Arcane Cannon

Cat’s Prowl

Fireball

Frost Blade

Hydrosphere

Photosynthesis

Raging Torrent

Sanguimancy

Searing Wind

Serene Glade - Unique

Shearing Gale

Silent Step

Storm Knuckles - Unique

Sun Armor

Sun Jump

Sunburst

Sunlance

Wall of Force

Water Bomb

Water Shot]

Before I could really consider what I had left, the System sent me one final message.

[Returning to normal time in 5, 4, 3…]

I hurried to fill my reduced slots as I felt my body begin to move again.

[Dominated Skills - Slots Available 1/5

Wall of Force

Sun Armor

Sanguimancy

Arcane Cannon]

It’s time to save my friends.

My hand inched forward as I screamed. “[Wall of Force]!” The moment the words left my lips, a much thicker barrier than Jaegan’s sprang into existence around the [Flame Golem], but not before the edge of the flaming cascade slammed into Jaegan and Raiju…

Or it would have if Volta and Voltaire hadn’t practically sprung into existence as they sped down the tunnel as bolts of lightning to block them with shields of wind that cracked nearly instantly. Blessedly, they bought enough time for my [Wall of Force] to block the rest of the mini-boss’ current salvo of flames.

When the flames cut off, they looked over to me with eyes that blazed with violet lightning. “Pactlord, what did you do?” They intoned together with a reverential tone.

“What I had to do.” I recast [Sun Armor]. “Now help Ylsa kill this thing so I can focus on healing Raiju.”

“Yes Pactlord!” They bowed before launching themselves into the air toward the head of the [Flame Golem].

I glanced over at Jaegan, who lay prone near the entrance to the chamber and quickly pulled up the Party Interface to verify his condition as well as Raiju’s.

Jaegan’s not doing well, but he’s at least stable. Raiju’s HP is at ten percent and dropping at a steady pace, there must be more damage to her body besides her paw…silly girl, I bet she was worried I’d be mad she got hurt before.

While the battle raged around us, I padded over to my companion, who winced as I looked at her. “Raiju, why didn’t you tell me you were already hurt? I would have gladly healed you all the way before we came in here.” I reached a hand up to place it on her head as a tremor ran through me from the impacts to my [Wall of Force].

Against flames like that, I can hold out a long time. With my [Arcane] stat as high as it is, incremental damage doesn’t mean shit to my walls. If the big bastard starts slamming into it? That’s another story, but for now I’m good.

Raiju’s ears drooped as she stopped next to me. “I don’t want to be the nanny of the pack. I want to be a huntress, like my dam.” She refused to look at me as she stared back at the battle taking place around the center of the room. “I’m worth more than just companionship.”

“What are you talking about–” My brows furrowed for a moment before realization struck me. I gasped. “Raiju, I’m not telling you not to fight, far from it.”

She looked at me with confused eyes. “What do you mean? I’m weaker than everyone else in the group. None of them even got hurt in the last fight, while I almost didn’t make it out.” A soft whimper escaped her throat and my heart sank.

As I reached out to pet her, I activated [Sanguimancy] and began to let my consciousness stream through her body. She was in rough shape, the muscles in her paw were nearly completely destroyed and her haunches were strained to near uselessness.

With some effort, I kept a bit of awareness outside Raiju’s body despite the mental toll of [Sanguimancy]. “Some of these wounds are old, why didn’t you tell me–” I cut myself off. “You know what? That can wait.” I rubbed at a muscle knot by her neck. “I’m going to heal your paw and haunches for now. We can talk more about this after the battle.”

Unbeknownst to me, my eyes glowed with a crimson light as I channeled the blood magic into my injured companion. A swirling vortex of blood energy formed above us, drawing life force from me and any creature within fifteen feet of us to fuel the healing. The swirling vortex descended, its crimson tendrils reaching into her ravaged paw. As the blood magic coursed through her body, the torn muscles and shattered bones began to mend, their raw edges knitting together like pieces of a puzzle. Pain long ignored subsided quickly, replaced by a warm, tingling sensation as the life force flowed through her veins. The paw, on the other hand, burned like it was on fire again as new skin and hair formed while my face became more and more gaunt.