“You’re an idiot, you know that, right? I swear, am I going to have to look after you from now on?”
“Why do you think I tried so hard to get you out of there?” Ethan said, trying to utilize as much good will he had with his wife.
He had told them everything. How he overestimated his abilities, how he almost gave into his depression, and let it all go. He even told them how he had almost unintentionally killed himself, launching himself into a hole in desperation. He wasn’t proud, but after he felt Rebecca’s soul he realized how stupid and petty he had been.
He had just finished telling them how he had climbed the mountain behind them to lure the Drake down and into the portal. When Rebecca finally spoke up. Obviously annoyed with himHe had tried to explain how pressured he felt with the time dilation, but he knew that was a weak excuse.
“No more stupid ideas, unless you run it by me first. Oh! That reminds me!” Rebecca said, as she turned to her son, Mark realized he wasn’t going to get away scott free. “You. Mister, better not take after your dad. That stunt you pulled may have worked out in the end, but don’t you ever blow yourself up like that again. I swear, the Soxe men are idiots.”
Ethan looked at his son, sharing in their verbal beating.
[Did you really blow yourself up? That’s awesome!] Ethan couldn’t help but smile.
[Not really. I just overcharged the ambient Mana… Using myself as the focal point.] Mark said, trying to hide his own smile from his mom.
[Okay, that is pretty smart, you know your mom loves you right? So we should probably apologize for making her worry. I’ll go first, she’s got a a soft spot for you, so I’ll take the most heat. Just promise me next time you have an idea like that, let me know so I can see it too, I bet it was amazing.]
[I didn’t see it, I blacked out and lost control after that.] Mark said, Ethan could feel the shame sent through soul connection.
They had realized that Soul Connection was still available. Working the same way Familial Bond did, just on a different channel.
[Ooof, that sucks.Try to be safe next time. But for the record, I’m proud of you. You stepped up when I couldn’t. We’re here today, because of what you did. Just try to be safer. Okay?]
[Thanks dad. I missed you.]
[Missed you too, bud. Wish me luck]
“Rebecca, I was desperate. And while that isn’t an excuse, I know I went about it like an idiot. I am sorry for making you worry, and for putting myself in danger.”
Much of her anger was blown away. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to be upset. She had just found out her husband was out and about fighting, and in her opinion losing more than winning. But she knew he was doing it for them.
[Mom.] Mark started, seeing her cooled down a bit, “I’m sorry. I had an idea and I knew you’d tell me not to do it.I knew it was dangerous. But I weighed the alternative. And knew you or dad would find a way to take care of us, of me, if something went wrong.”
“You both are too much, I swear. Dangerous plans are run by me from now on. Period.”
Haley watched all of this going on, thankful she had much of her questions answered, but she still had one burning away.
“Dad. Who is Joe? Like really? I get that you ate him, consumed him, or whatever. But who is he?”
“Joe, did you want to field this one? You’re part of the family now.” Ethan said.
[I don’t know.]
“Of course you are, it’d be weird to exclude you since we’re kinda stuck with each other.”
[No. What I mean is that I don’t know who I am. I know what I was. I was a Guide. Specifically, your father’s Guide. But so much has changed. After your father consumed the Guides from the Training Fields, and his new skill… I am having questions of my own.]
“Joe. What does my dads new skill have to do with you?” Haley asked.
[I think The Architect gave it to him for a reason. It doesn’t make sense for it to be random, I think it is tied to the Guides. It is a superior skill I had planned to teach your father when we had time to separate me from him.Soul Binding. Soul Crafting is similar to what the System does when it creates Guides. With your father now having a means to separate us, plus the raw materials to create soul items… I. I think The Architect intended you to use the Guides.]
Ethan listened to Joe. His train of thought made sense, but he couldn’t think of anything that he’d make from souls. The only thing he’d ever made with souls was…
“The Fallen.”
“What? What’s that?” Haley asked, interested, and confused in equal measures.
“Joe. I made a Fallen. I made you a Fallen. What exactly are they?”
Joe remained silent.
Finally he spoke.
[The Fallen are Guides who reject the System. IF what you learned from The Architect is true, if what I think is true, I am pretty sure The Fallen are those that reject the dead gods. Usually a Guide is tasked with guiding a subject, influencing to make decisions to test hypotheses. But every so often, a Guide will disappear. We were never told why. There were rumors of love, of running away for one reason or another, or even going insane from what their subjects had done, or gone through. I think the Guides are more than what we were told. Some rumors. Some rumors said that Guides had left their subjects. That they had remembered something, and they had simply left.]
“Wait, so there is like a Guide breakroom? Or hangout? How are they spreading rumors?”
[Rumors were spread by the humans, the visiting mates… Husbands. Would come visit, and tell their family’s what had happened. Guides would report it, and a new Guide would be assigned. Before I was assigned Ethan, I was responsible for processing these reports. The System doesn’t just facilitate your prompts and stat screens. Just being in the presence of the System allows for your bodies to be changed, allowing for the ability to grow stronger. It handles, to a certain extent, your growth. Because it lacks true consciousness it uses Guides to process information, reports, errors, among other things. The System literally threw its processing power at you and you ate it, as Haley would say.]
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“So you think you are a soul? I’m not following?” Haley said, as the rest of her family listened. Not understanding what Joe was getting at.
[To put it bluntly, which I have no proof of whatsoever, it is just a feeling I have. I am starting to doubt the System created the Guides. I think the System harvests them from the Endless Plains, and instead repurposes them for its own growth.]
“Wait… That. Where is he getting these souls?”
[From the Subjects who die.]
“So you were… alive?”
[Technically, I still am. Dying. True Death doesn't happen until your soul runs out of Mana to fuel it. So, I am still alive, kept alive by your father.]
“Ha! Dad has a Joe parasite!” Mark laughed at his own joke.
“That is not funny Mark! Joe is trapped, be a little nicer to him!” Haley made to hit him on his arm, but he dodged away.
[He isn’t wrong though, and the irony is there. I was tasked with keeping your father alive, and now I need him to live.] Joe said. They could tell he enjoyed Mark's joke.
Ethan was pretty sure it was his influence on Joe making him think it was funny, because even Ethan was trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of Joe needing him to stay alive. Ethan thought about what Joe had said, it all made sense to him, a dead god had near endless Mana, and no real way to use it. Delegating responsibilities to find what it was looking for made sense. It also made sense if the System couldn’t communicate with souls directly, it needed an inbetween. A translator. Without any more information though it was all a guess on what Joe was feeling.
“Okay, well we aren’t going to get anywhere with limited info. So let's go through loot, and figure out how we’re going to keep you guys sane for the next couple of days while I hopefully dig out that mountain so we can fortify our new home until you guys can level up enough to make it out in the Endless Plains. Just wait ‘til night falls, I can’t wait to show you guys.”
Ethan pulled out his bag, and tried to pull out everyone's loot, but found while he could feel the four small chests in his storage with Mana. He couldn’t touch them, it seemed until they were opened they were bound to the person who had pulled them.
So Ethan pulled his chest out, and handed off his bag to his wife. Opening his chest he found a small pile of metal, pulling it out he inspected it.
Standard Galactic Trade Steel
Not the best steel, but the most prevalent
Used is a multitude of systems for various apprentice craftsman
100kg
Not what he was hoping for, but usable nonetheless. Kinda lackluster if he was honest with himself. Still he had some ideas on how to use it, if his family got something useful he’d have more material to use.
The next item was up his alley, even if the aesthetics were left wanting.
Laurel of Wrath
Headbutts and Blunt damage
You are familiar with both
Now they will harm you less, and your enemies more
[ Skill: Inertia Control]
Effect:
Dampens incoming impacts, redirects force outward.
Ethan was actually excited to wear it, the skill was something he had needed. He just had to figure out if he could learn it like he had his Gravity Control, separate from his gear. He hoped he could, and added it to his list of questions for the coming day when he was bored digging with Joe.
“Dad, what is going on? Why do you look like some Roman politician?” Haley asked.
“I don’t know, I just assumed the System either has bad taste in fashion, or it hates me. And you’re on to talk, you guys look like you’re part of some weirdo cult.”
Ethan looked them over; they all wore the same outfit. Gray wool like pants, a gray overcoat, and gray long sleeve shirt. Their simple shoes were the only thing that wasn’t gray, and instead a faded, dirty white.
“Yeah cause we had a whole lot of choices. They were already in our rooms when we woke up. They are comfy though. Surprisingly soft, even if they look like wool.” Haley said, as she retrieved her chest.
Joe had suggested the kids wait to open theirs, before activating their system interfaces, and checked their notifications. He had suggested that if they could, to learn as many skills as possible before activating it. Doing so would help increase their initial gains.
“Oh, I do not like the sound of this. Ethan, this is weird. Maybe you and Joe have some information to help me out here?” Rebecca interrupted, looking at her loot. Ethan quickly inspected the three small piles in front of her.
Robes of the unHoly Mother
[Soul Bound]
Bringer of life, protector of your kin
At the cost of your enemies lives, yours is enriched
Thus your kin are able to thrive
[Skill: Transfer Life]
Effects:
+3 to all stats, per level
This item is a growth item, once equipped it will bind itself to your soul.
May your life be long, and never run out of enemies to prolong you, and yours.
Bracers of the Watch
Worn by watcher on the wall, sight unparalleled
they are all that stand between the coming hordes
[Passive Skill: Enemy Detection]
Effect:
+20 Perception
Sandals of the Airwalker Tribes
The tribes of the Altoc’ric Skies
no longer can fly like their foremothers
Instead they stand tall upholding tradition
Waiting…
[Ability: Airwalking]
“What’s the big deal? I have a piece of gear that is soul bound, they’re pretty good. I mean I haven’t seen too many, so my sample size is rather small to go off.” Ethan said, letting his kids know what they were, and what they did.
“Ethan, Horde? Unholy? Soul Bound? Enemies? It sounds like this thing, things, expect me to turn into a vampire and suck my ‘enemies’ dry? Doesn’t that bother you?” Rebecca said, unsure she wanted to wear any of it.
“Honestly, it sounds better than mine. My Bracers want me to kill a god. Going off the recent events doesn’t sound like something impossible. Or unlikely. Pulls, I don’t think it sounds like a vampire. Not enough blood, and bats. More like… You know what, I say you wear them. You don’t have to keep them, Soul Bound is more so you can’t kill the wearer and take them.”
Rebecca cleared her throat looking at Ethan. “You gonna tell me what you think it sounds like?”
“Fine.” Ethan said laughing, “It sounds more like an undead priest. Like how in video games, the undead priests can suck the life out of you, and heal their undead minions. Super annoying to fight against, if it's strong enough.”
“OH yeah, like that game we played. The demon summoned the undead, but had his head priest drain your life, and heal his summons. That was fun. Ohohoh Mom’s a final boss! Nice!” Mark said, excited to see if his mom could do the same thing. He and his dad had played a lot of video games together and was starting to get excited to do it for real now.
“That is exactly what I was thinking. Which kinda goes with the bracers, you can detect the monsters, lay a trap or whatever, suck them dry, and maybe heal us too. Just gotta wear it to find out though.”
Rebecca was not convinced. But Ethan had said she could get rid of it later, so she was glad about that.
“And what about the sandals? I can’t walk around in the air underground if you wanna hole up.”
“Actually, that might be a really good thing. We could create a tunnel system to take advantage of that, so you can drain them from above? Look, the System gives loot based on need, from what Joe said. So you might not get it now, but I am sure you will eventually.” Said Ethan, he could tell Rebecca was dealing with her worries in her own way. He wanted to be supportive, and give her time, without pushing her.
He would be busy in the coming days, and knew they were about to deal with cabin fever being stuck in the Safe Zone. He didn’t want to sour their reunion by saying something stupid and upsetting her. He had to focus on his plan.
“Fine, I’ll wear ‘em. Joe, you said we could learn the skill of gear, right? Can you show me how later on? I want to be able to get rid of these as soon as the chance comes along. Also… I never said it, but thank you. Thank you for keeping my husband alive, and thank you for helping my family out. I know you don’t have to, so I appreciate it. I promise to help Ethan with his promise to get you out of there.”
[Don’t worry about it, it isn’t like I have much else going on.] Joe said. Ethan knew he appreciated it, and was glad to help out. [And I would be glad to help you out later on.]
Ethan let her know she could equip the gear without getting undressed. Her gray outfit dropped to the ground. Her clothes were replaced by her new gear. Robes were more of a tight sleeveless fitting dress above the waist, long flowing below. Somehow her dress was darker than black. Light seemed to flow towards Rebecca, it did little to dull the radiance Ethan saw when he looked at his wife. Two simple bracers, gold, thin and delicate adorned her wrists, leading half way up her forearms. Finally, her sandals were somehow even more plain than anything else. They looked just like Ethan’s, simple leather soles, with straps wrapping around her calves, tying shortly below her knees, behind her legs.
“Daaaaaamn baby you look great.” Ethan said, checking out his wife.
“I swear.” Rebecca said blushing. She had missed her husband, it was nice to have him back.
She had missed his flirting more than she had realized.
“Gross.” Haley said, as she turned away. She wanted to get to her own work, she understood how she had fallen behind, she didn’t have the skill levels or understanding her brother had. Her younger brother. “Mark, can you help me out , while mom and dad flirt with each other? I might throw up.”
“Sure, what do you need? And you know that is a sign of a healthy relationship. Couples together long enough can learn to hate each other. It is natural for people in love to flirt.”
“Please stop. That is gross. I need you to show me how to increase my control of Mana. Maybe some skills, or something. I hate to admit it but you’re better at this stuff than me. I want to be useful.”