Levi listened as they explained how he'd been in his trance-like state while he'd undergone his trial in meditation. As they explained how efficiently his body had defended itself, he grew intrigued.

"Wow, so in theory, I could become an absolute monster if I learned how to actually use that on purpose. And I thought the potential to create abilities and skills was pretty awesome by itself."

Paige smacked Levi in the head.

"What was that for?" Levi asked, rubbing at his head.

"Because you're being an idiot and Grace isn't here to smack you," Paige answered.

"Do you even hear yourself?" Joe started. "You could have died. And this isn't the first time you've put yourself in danger with that cultivation bullshit."

"This wasn't Cultivation. It was more like I was tinkering with the system itself. The notifications I got referred to it as 'forbidden,'" Levi argued.

"Oh... sooo much fucking better. You really are an idiot. You almost die doing something the system has listed as forbidden, and your first thought is to go back and try to exploit it more?" Joe said. Joe grabbed his shield and looked as if he was about to throw it in the lake, then lowered it, probably realizing he'd just have to swim out to retrieve it.

"No, no... I was just thinking theoretically." Levi thought back at how he'd felt trapped, and a shudder ran through him. "Nope, fuck that place. It was pretty damned scary feeling trapped like that. I don't plan on trying that again."

"You better fucking not," Paige said from beside him. She wasn't actually touching him, but she hadn't moved very far from him since he'd come out of the trance.

"Hey, the bright side is that I gained my first Ability." Levi tried to redirect the topic to something more positive.

Joe did perk up at that. He'd been with Levi for his entire journey, and they'd discussed Abilities and how Levi may be able to learn one before. Neither of them had made any headway with it. "You figured it out? What Ability? Please tell me it isn't something cultivation related."

"I wouldn't say I figured it out. In fact, even if I went back into that place, I'm not sure I could do anything similar again. But I did, mostly accidentally, gain my first Ability."

"Tell us what it is!" Paige demanded.

"Hold on a second, and I'll pull up the desciption. I haven't even read it myself." Levi pulled up his status page and found the new Ability. "My Will Made Steel - The Sage may summon a weapon that takes on the properties Willed into it. Resources will be consumed according to the properties imbued into the weapon. Resource consumption increases as more Willpower is exerted. Warning: This ability has no safety limitations, and the Sage may cause himself serious harm or death if the Willpower applied overdraws on available resources."

"Well... what does that mean? Also, how the hell did you even create an Ability like that?" Joe asked.

"Uh... long story. Want me to summon it? See how it works?"

"Hell yeah!" David said, finally breaking his silence.

Paige smiled at him, but it didn't quite seem genuine. "Yeah, I want to see it."

Joe nodded.

Levi took a step away from Paige, held out his hand, and activated My Will Made Steel. A transparent, almost holographic representation of the sword he'd created appeared in his hand.

Levi frowned for a moment, wondering why it looked so weak and insubstantial. Yet, even as he had the thought, it flared into more solid color, the steel bright and the root-like hilt in his hand not only turning fuller in color, but becoming real in his hand, the texture firming beneath his grip.

He smiled at the blade. Happier than anyone else could know that he held that sword in his hand.

"That is bad ass." David drew closer.

"Okay, yeah, that's pretty cool," Paige said as she leaned in.

"Can I hold it?" Joe asked, extending his hand.

Levi handed the sword to Joe, half expecting it to disappear as soon as he passed it to Joe. Joe took the blade and looked it over. "Nice looking, if oddly shaped." He gave a couple of test swings. "Seems like it has a good balance and weight. I'd be interested in Iara and Craig's opinions on it." Joe thumbed the edge of the blade. "Seems a little dull, though."

Levi felt somewhat insulted at that. His blade was sharp. He knew it. As the thought crossed his mind, he felt a tug at his mana.

"Oh shit!" Joe yelled, jerking his thumb away from the blade and nearly dropping the sword.

Joe handed the weapon back to Levi and then inspected his bleeding thumb. "I swear it was dull as shit, then it cut me wide open." Joe showed everyone the split flesh on his thumb.

"I am pretty sure that was because I wanted it to be sharp when you said it wasn't. Before that, I only planned on showing you guys the sword. It didn't need to be sharp." Levi dismissed the sword, saving his resources. "But I literally felt it drain mana as it sharpened, right after you said it was dull. It looks like it is extremely in tune with what I want."

"That's kind of cool," Paige said.

"Yeah, well, we don't know what it can actually do or how reliable it will be," Joe said grumpily. "Plus, Levi has never even learned to use a sword."

"Yeah, it does seem a little bit unpredictable," Maddy added.

David shrugged. "Well, I think it is cool."

"What? Do you want him to spar you to show you what it's capable of?" Paige said with a tone that suggested she was getting frustrated with Joe on Levi's behalf.

"No... I'm just pointing out how unrel..." Joe began.

"I actually think a spar is a good idea," Levi interrupted. Joe was a good friend, and Levi understood Joe was frustrated that his meditation kept causing problems like this. But Joe was being a dick about it. That much was clear. Levi wasn't in the mood for it, and he really did want to test out his new Ability. "I only have two more hours before the Parched Soul debuff bottoms out. It's probably best to spar now, so I can use potions to top my mana and stamina up before we go adventuring in the area."

"Wha... I thought your debuff was reset when you learned an Ability." Joe asked.

"Nope. The system revoked the reset due having tampered with a 'Forbidden Mechanic.'" Levi answered.

"Then why didn't it just revoke the Ability?" Joe scratched his beard. "That doesn't make sense."

"I'm not sure it could, or it probably would have." Levi shrugged and met Joes eyes. "So we going to spar or not?" He gestured to Maddy, "We have a healer present. Paige, David... you guys take potion duty?"

"Hell yeah," David answered.

In the back of his mind, Levi wondered where the kind hunter, always trying to bring in food for others, had gone. David had changed.

"Yeah," Paige said, pulling a healing potion from her pack.

Joe's eyes narrowed. "Really Levi? This is stupid."

Levi stared back at Joe. "No, you made a good point. We should probably understand my Ability better, if we're going to trust it in combat. Plus, if we're going to spar, we need to do it now before my debuff is maxed out."

"Okay..." Joe said slowly and deliberately. He casually pulled his shield from his back and sword from his sheathe. "Maddy, can you give the countdown?" Joe lowered himself into a stance, shield positioned in front of him.

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Levi kind of felt bad. He knew Joe was mostly just frustrated and confused about his new Ability and his meditation causing issues. He knew Joe didn't really mean any harm, and had only been a dick because he didn't know how else to deal with the situation.

Joe was a good leader when it came to war and the military or police. But he was too close-minded when it came to anything outside of that expertise.

Levi needed to at least show him that the risks he took had paid off. He needed to show him the world was different. He'd thought Joe already understood that when he'd let Levi lead the group inside the portal.

And it wasn't that Levi was trying to assert dominance or just wanting a fight. And he knew that Joe wasn't just trying to be a controlling asshole, either. Joe simply didn't understand, especially when it came to Levi's Cultivation and meditation. Joe saw it as not worth the danger it had put Levi in. And they hadn't sparred since Levi had upgraded his Core. Levi had to show him what he'd gained. It was the best choice.

Levi lowered himself into a position, something he'd modified from his typical Tai Chi stance in a quick guess, with his right hand held out slightly wider, awaiting the sword. Levi wished he'd actually learned something about using a sword before, but he never thought he'd actually use one.

As Maddy counted down, Levi planned his assault. He'd hit hard and fast. Taking a lesson from what they'd told him about his trance state, he knew he could activate his abilities to the max for a brief moment and be fine.

And Levi focused on the intent for his weapon. He hoped he was right, but he thought it should only cut what he intended to cut if he pressed his will into it. So he made a plan and readied himself.

"Fight." Maddy finally said.

Levi triggered every Skill he had and used his Ability, My Will Made Steel. The sword was in his hand in an instant.

When he struck Joe, he hit nothing but what he intended. The sword went right through the shield, not even cutting or damaging it, just passing through like a phantom blade. Then the sword pierced Joe's lung.

As he lept away from Joe, retaking distance, his Skills still maxed out, Levi wondered if his plan had worked. But as he deactivated his Skills and dismissed his sword, pain finally registered on Joe's face as he tried to gasp. It took Maddy a second to realize he needed a heal, but soon Joe was able to breathe again.

Everyone stood silent for a moment as Joe gathered his composure.

"What the fuck was that?" Joe stared down at his undamaged shield. "I understand the insane speed, but how did you get through my shield, and bypass my defensive Skill that absorbs the first hit?"

"Intent. The sword becomes what I want it to be. To be fair, I was guessing it could pass through your shield. I was pretty sure, though. I intended for it to cut through your Skill, but I honestly thought it probably wouldn't be able to. Guess it does, though."

"That was sick!" David suddenly yelled.

Then the gathered goblin audience they'd all but forgotten about started clapping and cheering.

Levi watched Joe, apprehensive about how he would respond.

However, when Joe looked up at Levi, he had a huge smile on his face. "Well, I guess you made your point. That is pretty badass."

Levi let out a relieved laugh and shrugged. "Yeah, but if I am being honest, that one attack took almost half of both my mana and stamina. I can't use attacks like that unless I really need to, especially once my debuff hits max. I'll pretty much only have one tank of mana, and will have to constantly drink stamina potions, even if I'm fighting as efficiently as possible."

After a moment, Levi added. "I'm not too far from leveling, though. So maybe that won't take long, and I can get back in the game.

Joe nodded. "We'll try to cover your weakness until then. Want to go talk to the Shaman now?"

"Yeah. Let's figure out what she has for us."

As they began walking toward the Shaman's apatcha, Paige fell in beside Levi, and he felt her brush his hand with hers. He looked down at her hand for a moment, and then took it in his. As he looked back up at her, she smiled, her pupils growing into black pools again. They walked hand in hand, silent and content, all the way to the Shaman.

------

"Ah, so I was right. Smart enough to find his way out of his own stupidity." The Shaman sprinkled tea leaves into her kettle, not bothering to look up as they entered. "Sit. I have some information for you."

They all sat around the fire as the Shaman swirled the tea leaves a few times, removed the kettle from the heat, and set it on a pad of leather to cool and steep.

She reached out and grabbed a piece of paper, bleached white and thinner than you'd expect. It had a map drawn atop.

"Before I show you this, I need to stress. You must not die. Whatever decisions you make, make confidently, for my people are relying on you. I hesitate to even show you these things or offer what I am about to offer, but I also realize that I must leave the decisions in your hand." She held out the map, and Levi reached out and took it, as the rest of the group leaned in around it.

As Levi studied the map, he noted it was originally labeled in the Goblin language, but there were fresh notations and translations in English. The portal was marked, as well as several other locations.

There were a number of known Lians-thrak dens, the locations of troll communities, and a few other oddities marked on the map.

"I take it, by how you said you hesitate to even offer this, you weren't just referring to the map," Levi said, fully retaking his leadership role.

"Indeed not. Due to my designated status as an Elite, the Law-shaper, your system, has granted me the authority to issue 'quests' to Spirit-bonded. It wasn't something I was even aware of before our earlier conversation about your plan to adventure and explore. But, I received the notification as you asked questions."

"So you needed time to figure out how to use the system mechanic?" Levi asked.

"No. The system you have been given is very intuitive and easy to use. I needed to think about the morality of offering you certain quests, gather information to see if more would become available, and decide if I wanted to offer these quests at all. If I am being honest, I will not offer you all the quests I have available because I fear the risk involved. Perhaps, when I believe that you won't throw yourself into unnecessary danger or that you've grown strong enough, that will change."

"Okay..." To Levi, that sounded almost like a video game, more than anything else in this world had. He knew the Shaman wasn't an NPC, but having to unlock quests by completing easier ones first or growing stronger was such a stereotypical video game feature that he almost doubted his belief that the Shaman and Goblins were real people.

"I suppose it does seem that way, Levi." The Shaman said, reading his mind somehow, as she reached for the kettle and begin pouring tea into small clay cups. "But, I assure you it is self-serving at the moment. I need you to stay alive until an agreement has been made between our people, or I'll be stuck waiting longer for the next group and hope they are as reasonable as you have been... which would be highly unlikely if your entire party dies inside the Realms."

The Shaman looked up and caught Levi's eye as she passed him a clay cup. "I don't want to risk the future of my people for your sense of adventure or gain. And I'd like the promise from you that you'll only attempt those quests I offer and not get reckless. After my people's future is secure, I'll gladly issue any suicidal quests you wish, even if I still recommend you do not attempt them."

Levi smirked and nodded. "Okay, you've got my promise, but I'm not sure why everyone thinks I just jump into things recklessly. That's more Paige's speed."

The Shaman continued to pass clay cups to the group as he spoke.

Paige felt a tinge of offense at Levi's words that was quickly dismissed by the realization that he was completely right. She shrugged. "I mean, that's fair... but you really don't know why people worry you'll do something stupid? You know, you're a smart guy, so my guess is you only struggle with short-term memory loss. Like, the trance you were still in less than an hour ago... slip your mind?"

"Okay, I see your point, but that was less of a poor decision and more of a screw-up I couldn't have seen coming," Levi retorted.

No one said anything, but they all stared at Levi.

Levi relented. "Okay, fine. Point taken. But I promise, we're going to play it safe. So you can offer quests? I'm curious how that works."

The Shaman pointed down at the map laid out in front of Levi. "This marks the Lians-thrak dens. Having the Lians-thrak removed as a threat would greatly help our scouts and hunting parties move through the plains safely and quickly. If you eradicate them, you will be rewarded with 'experience points' and an upgrade to the gear you currently wear."

When she finished speaking, a notification flashed in front of the adventures.

QUEST OFFER (Shareable Quest) - Eliminate the Lians-thrak in the immediate area. Reward 30,000 experience points split between party members based on contribution.

Levi quickly accepted the quest. Afterward, he immediately checked to see if he could pull up a quest log, which he could.

"Alright, that was cool. And the quest should be easy. David took down that one with a single shot," Paige said as Levi reread the information in the system's quest log.

"The one he killed was still quite small," the Shaman said before taking a sip of tea. "But yes, the quest should be very safe for you, as long as you don't act foolishly.'

"That's more than enough experience to get me to the next level, too," Levi added. He looked around at the group. "Everyone down?"

After everyone gave him a nod, he looked back to the Shaman. "But that's not all you have, huh?"

The Shaman sighed and sat down her cup. "No. But I still hesitate to offer this next quest. I actually only offer it because I know how greatly this can benefit your group... Paige, especially... and know of her plans to leave soon. So please, make sure you don't attempt it unless you are confident. Scout first. If you decide to attempt it, plan well for the fight."

Levi nodded somberly.

Paige leaned forward with a grin, wondering what could benefit her more than the others.

The Shaman hesitated for a few seconds and then continued. She pointed to a large area highlighted with read and labeled in both Goblin and English, that read 'Troll Elite.' "I know I said to avoid the other Denizens if possible, but... here there is a wandering Troll Elite. I do not know what power she possesses. My people have always avoided her. We have observed, but never seen what she is capable of. However, the other trolls avoid her, and so she is both more powerful than a normal troll, yet also had little opportunity to grow stronger.

Based on my own comparitive power as an Elite, and my understanding of your capabilities, I believe you should be able to defeat her as a group. But that is only a guess. So, if it becomes too difficult, I urge you to flee. However, she is alone.

The reason I even ask this of you now is because she has a rare white buffalo in her possession. She captured it. And I know this may sound silly, but in goblin culture, the culture the system generated and seeded my people with, a white buffalo is considered sacred. While, I know that the sentiment is a fabrication, something the system implanted inside us, I still feel the strong desire to have this creature freed before we leave this place."

QUEST OFFER (Shareable Quest) - Free The Great White Bison. Reward 40,000 experience points split between party members based on contribution. One Gear Upgrade Crystal per participant.

For Levi, he didn't even have to think as he accepted the quest.

But Paige was even more eager than him. As far as she was concerned, The Great White Bison was going to be her new best buddy.