“In this world and the last, old scriptures of foreign languages can hold surprisingly useful information.”
“The last? What was that like?” Questions Berta, resting her head in her hand, watching Aden read from across the table.
A room that once served for dining now a storage for Berta’s excessive books. Truly, she worked from home and lived at work.
“Mortals studied the working of the world for insights they chance glean in order to empower themselves, taking the energy around and bringing it in to refine their bodies. They continue this process until they are able to condense a core and second soul, then begin merging their existence with the rules of the world, unknowingly trapping themselves for short term godliness. They follow this practice until they die, whether that is in the first hundred years, or later, in millions of years.”
“They sound boring.” She comments, still lazily watching.
Still not glancing up from his books, “They were fools. Pay them no mind.”
“You sound angry.”
“I sound annoyed. They forsook wisdom to maintain tradition and familiarity. Meanwhile, a mere fragment of what they had forgotten, sitting in their scripture pavilion in languages that could have been decoded, would have set them straight. What other knowledge had been lost to time due to their foolishness?”
“Mm.”
…
Aden closes his books, places them on the table, and looks to Berta. “How about instead of wasting time staring at me, you begin your cultivation.”
“Is that what those fools did? I’m busy with a more important matter.”
“If that matter is staring at me, you can do much more of that if you live longer.”
“Isn’t that what the pills are for? I’ll stick with what I’ve got.”
“I thought you would be greedy for millions of years of lifespan, but I suppose splitting worlds and creating new ones with mere thought just isn’t for you.”
Her eyes now finally at attention, “Oh no no no, I’m very interested. When did I say this isn’t for me? It's perfect for me. I’m the best match!”
Rolling his eyes at her predictability, “Then here’s step one. Learn this language.” Aden lets a thick picture book fall out of his hand in front of her.
If I can make you a picture book dictionary, then you’re-
Berta begins scanning the pages without quipping or whining.
Gonna read it and enjoy it…
Oh well, back to my studies.
So, all are classless children until the bestowal ceremony at 15, which I might be able to perform on myself, and normally must be paid for. Talent, history, and desires are supposedly all contributors in the resulting class, but your history seems to have the greatest impact. It's hard to tell how much of this system is borrowed power and how much is your own. While classes bestow these so-called skills, you can also just learn them on your own if you have the will and talent for it, not that these books speak well of that. Somehow it's an affront to the goddess in these newer books, but opposite in the old.
Glancing up at the old youth, “I take it you would be executed for possession of these older books?”
“English” She answers, not looking up.
“Yes, that is english. Good pronunciation, you are a quick study. So… burned alive?”
“Placed upon a spear for all to see until death.” As concentrated as Aden had been earlier.
“Lovely.”
“Quite.”
What a daring hag.
This “Treatise on the Rising Demonic Invasion” alludes to some interesting things… sadly the author was… unpopular… and knew enough to rant about it through his pleas for listeners. Cursed refugees of a magic plague, fled through portals to this “Alfdrep”. What they fled from, they become, perpetuating the plague. They sound quite alike to the demons from my game. Even their demon lords are just expounding the corruption’s characteristics until they have a strong enough will to imbue their own,
I’d like to start looting the underground, but I’ll trust Berta to perform her new job. I can just sample as I purge. Perhaps I’ll acquire one of these trolls or a wraith along my path anyways. This book does say trolls are popular for experimenting on, despite the numbers lost to capture one. “Resistant to non-consuming magics.” Along with the sporadic materialization of these wraiths…
“Well”, he says, folding his books again. “I’ll be away on my purge for some time.”
Dropping a stack of books from one hand and a pile of artificial magic tools out of his other. “You can study these once your english is well enough, and sell these once you are strong enough not to die attempting to do so. You know what I want you to acquire for me. Store everything in this ring, you’ll know how to use and soulbind it once you have finished your studies.”
She accepts the ring from him, clasping his hand in hers, a gentler grip this time. “I knew you couldn’t resist my charms.”
Sealing the flesh as he detaches his arm, causing her to drop forward, struggling with the weight. “What charms, you bald ape. Keep it, just know it’s highly explosive and the blood inside will destroy anything it touches.”
Grunting as she pulls her hand out from under his, “Not quite the betrothal gift I expected, but I suppose it's still a priceless treasure… You cracked my table…”
“You are right, I should take a few shelves with me to read while I’m busy.”
“Who else but my husband would read while he butchers.”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Rolling his eyes in a vain attempt to find relief from her, “I’ll be back whenever, might even take a trip to the demon world. See you maybe tomorrow or the next millenia.”
Escaping before she could respond, Aden bolts from the backroom, destroying the swinging door, then through the poorly replaced front door, putting an end to both the conversation and the hunk of wood.
Shattering the ground, Aden soars to the sky, heading south for new prey. His color shifts to match the blue above.
With the illusory shimmer I already have, this should keep me decently out of sight up here… Aside from anything above, I guess. Not that I would want to avoid something that can fly. That’s called food.
Crap, this shelf was full of stories, and this one is for children… While the other side is erotic stories… Played myself in the rush. I didn’t need to move at max speed, I could have gone a little slower and checked first.
Oh? I guess those are all the ranchers returning from field… and that out there… looks like they just let the herd roam. Seems like the herd of multiple villages. Looks like beefalo.
Swooping down, Aden closes in for a bite, pulling an old female into him like the floor went missing and he was the pit, then angles back and pumps to ascend once more.
Tasty. Only the rich could eat these on earth now, well, not even of this quality. It’s still all poisoned back there.
[Plains Stomper Assimilated]
Oddly, this is the first creature with this kind of digestive system that I’ve had. Useless for me but interesting nonetheless. Also the first non draconic horns? Hooves too! Hmmmm, meshes weird with my hands. It's basically just keratinizing a portion of their exoskeleton, making it harder to see the subdermal scales.
I didn’t think of it before… but I can secrete human milk? I guess If I have the genes of something, that sometimes covers both sexes. Wait, does that mean I… I do! I can produce human venom! Ha, inactive gene unlocked. I should sift through inactive genes more.
First town sighted. That should be Dellym, if the map is right.
As the road transitions from dirt to brick, more roads entwining, traffic thickens. Not a building in sight beyond the walls, stories tall, built proper for siege. A ringed trade city, caravans jostling for position in line to enter, guardsman at the gates, smoke wafts from industry, and a grand church overlooks the city lord’s mansion near the center.
The wall patrol is just for show with how few there are, and they lack proper defenses beyond the stone itself. Industrial district looks busy. I’m just here for the church, though. Let’s see if there are any class bestowal ceremonies right now…
Gliding swiftly and unseen far above the walls, Aden makes his plummet for a shaded corner in the side of the cathedral wall. Just a whisper in the wind, he touches down without sound, taking on a new appearance.
Hmmm, focusing Guo and Georgos at the same time gives the shapeshift more power over my fixed form. My “arms” are still buff, but not absurdly cartoonish like before. I'll go with stomper fur robes… and lower the quality.
Appearing around the corner to the front, Aden joins a crowd shuffling into church.
“I hear Balen’s boy received tutelage from Alslep Fiergen.” Said one woman.
“That can’t be true, he’s been running up a tab at my bar for ages.” Said a gruff man.
“I saw it myself, Deirdre sends the young one off every fourth day in a noble’s carriage.” Said another woman.
“That bastard! I’ll have him payin his damned tab!” Shouted the gruff man.
Making their way through the grand entryway, Aden’s spies upon golden statues adorning the tops of the inner walls like gargoyle fishermen poised with spear ready. Gold inlaid carvings stretch across the face of the walls, depicting great warriors. Getting closer to the altar, depictions of giant men with familiar spears stand poised at the sky.
That somewhat answers that, I suppose.
“Do you think he’ll get something good?”
“With a noble’s tutor? I’d beat him myself if he doesn’t”
“I heard his tutor was just for smithing though.”
“What?! That’s insane!”
“Balen’s gonna keep him in the family business with all that money put in?!”
“Greedy bastard.”
“Watch your language.”
“Sorry.”
Sifting forward, everyone finds a row among pews and files their way in. As the seats fill, some stand in the back, and the crowd begins to settle down.
Bringing silence to the crowd, ceasing the murmuring, a voice echoes out from the altar, “Goddess’s blessings upon us all! Her embrace warms us!” A priest in much the same garb as Georgos had.
With everyone's attention now forward, he continues, hand laid out towards a boy in clothes normal to the other peasants but wearing a priest's hefty coat. “Today we celebrate the coming of age of Sieg Yarn and the great bestowal of his class by the goddess!”
Then he hugs the boy. A wisp of mana pulls from the priest trailing a string of more to come. Whispering not to the boys ear, but to nothing at all, the mana shifts to chi and swirls around the boy, entering and exiting him numerous times, then vanishing off into the sky. The glow now visible to the audience. After nearly a minute, the light reaching above becomes light raining down, sheltering the boy in a blanket of gold. As all light fades and the whispering stops, the two part.
“Pray tell, child, what gift has mother graced you with?”
The boy, tapping at the air with his finger, “Blacksmith.”
Quiet mutterings rise in the audience.
“So much money and potential just for a blacksmith.”
“He better be good at it.”
“I bet their ware will be worth a lot”
“So much fanfare at his ceremony just for this? I had mine in group.”
“What a disappointment.”
“Looks like Balen got what he wanted.”
After hiding his own look of disappointment, the priest quiets the crowd and ushers in a potentially premature and less grand end to the event. As everyone made their way out and the hall became still, the garbed man looked back from closing the doors to see Aden still sitting in his spot.
After a look of annoyance and a stifled sigh, he walked over to Aden, “Is there something I can be of help with, sir?”
Looking up, “Perhaps.”
I hope I got their dialect down.
…
“If you are in need of food, we do in town, not at the church, would you like an acolyte to guide you?”
“I’ve eaten well enough.”
…
“If you could tell me what you need, I could be of help much quicker.” His fake smile getting faker as they go on.
Seems like my speech is fine.
“That makes sense.”
…
“So…?”
“Hm?”
…
Finally cracking, “Look, just tell me what you want already you damned peasant!”
You’ve just given me what I wanted, but I want a little more first. I can see the dark violet chi within you.
“Purple eyes.”
The priest's eyes widen, then his face goes stern and they cloud over with a purple mist swirling within. This time, the chi sends a thin line out into the air.
Bingo, and not another soul within this hall. Even got a bonus this time.
Rising from his seat, Aden doffs his disguise, looking down upon the corrupted. Once the man’s eyes gain light within, and his body jolts back to life as if he were plastic before, “With whom do I speak? I see the tether of chi, do not make me follow it.”