"That one seems boring," Terrence says. "I probably won't get to use a lot of fire magics during it."
We're looking at the job requests board in the guild right now, trying to see which jobs would be good fits for us. I want to do a more 'casual' one that helps people out a little more directly, while Terrence wants to do a job that's mostly fighting.
The job request I just indicated is from a group that had traveled to this town shortly after I arrived in this world. They want to return back to their hometown, the one to the southeast of here. Though they want to leave ASAP, the request was dated a few days ago.
Most of the combat-capable people don't want to travel too far, and this group lost several of its members and guards on the way here due to the monsters of the Slip. Based on what we've learned since arriving here in town, the monsters in the fields and along the route are around 400 Might. That is, their primary Attribute is around 400 Points.
A breeze for Terrence and me, but a difficult fight for most here. On top of that, most of the combat-capable people wish to stay in the town in order to ensure its own safety. On top of that, there are no doubt bandits positioned along the route.
If my memory is correct, we'll have to travel through about three miles of forest to reach the town they want to go to. That's a perfect spot for an ambush, though there's a rocky area that could serve as one, too.
It really would be a mostly boring job. Occasional monster fights and a possible bandit fight, but otherwise just traveling.
"You're right," I tell Terrence. "It would be a boring job. These people are worried about their family and friends in their own town, though, especially since we're only halfway through the Slip and monsters are pretty powerful. Elites are common this time around."
"I know," Terrence's tail droops a little.
"Considering we'll be traveling along a route," I tell Terrence. "Rather than just hunting in areas around a town, we'll also likely have more monsters to deal with, and possibly even stronger ones. No one's just going out and clearing them."
"Right," Terrence perks up a little.
"Also," I indicate the job request he was staring at. "Terrence, the monsters in that request are aligned with water and earth. High physical defenses are common for those types of monsters, and the water affinity means they're likely going to have a high resiliency to heat."
Terrence gives me a frown, and I know what he's thinking. How do I know this about monsters?
"Silvia has books on monster types and how you can often tell what their attributes and resistances are just by their affinities," I tell him. "I was looking through it last night, after you went to bed. Anyway, you'd have to have a significant power advantage over them to take them out easily with your fire magics."
"That's most monsters," he says. "And I'll be restricted on them in a forest. But you have a point, we can do a single job and potentially face a lot of strong monsters, or take on several smaller jobs. Let's go with the escort job. You do have a point about it being a good idea to get them back to their family."
He gets a look on his face, and I know exactly what he's thinking.
"No," I tell him.
"But-"
"We can make sure their fighters get some Experience on the way," I tell him. "Draw aggro from the stronger stuff while they take on some of the weaker. Let them build up more strength as we travel. That will benefit them as well. If we do what you're asking, they'd not get that bonus."
I'm being a little vague, though I probably don't need to be. Plenty of the people in here can hear us even with our hushed tones. Their beastkin senses see to that.
Terrence was thinking of me flying over to the town, then teleporting back before opening a [Gate] to let everyone through. That really would be the most efficient way through this job, but helping the group's fighters gain Levels on the way there would benefit them more. With us helping them, there would be no true threat to them.
They can handle the stuff below-average for the monsters on that route with the current state of the Slip, and we'll handle the stronger stuff. Then, after the Slip ends, they'll be that much more powerful that traveling after won't be so worrisome.
As for the vagueness of my statement, I do want to avoid causing a small panic by outright admitting I want to see people who don't live here gone before the big threat arrives. I hope Terrence caught that.
"Alright," Terrence says. "Let's go accept the job request."
We approach the counter and get in line. There are three clerks, and all three of them have a line at the moment. It takes us almost ten minutes to reach the front.
"They're requesting at least forty people," the clerk informs me. "Who have at least 500 Might. How many are in your party?"
I guess she doesn't know who I am, especially when factoring in the looks half the people present are giving her.
"Two," I answer. "Just Terrence and me. I would like to speak with the group."
The clerk looks uncertain, but one of the others whispers something to her and she lets us know where to locate them. Terrence and I make our way to the tavern she instructed, and I spot the leader of the group quite easily.
According to the clerk, the leader of the party is an arctic foxkin woman in her thirties, her hair brown at the moment, her tail and ears tipped with black. Well, Terrence told me the latter parts on the way here. When we enter the tavern, there's a woman who meets that description sitting in a corner, talking with a few others. The table has her and three other foxkin, plus two wolfkin. Both of the wolfkin plus one of the foxkin have swords on their hips, while the others appear unarmed.
For the leader, there's a certain air about her in the way she speaks that lets me know it's her and not the other foxkin woman sitting at the table. The way she sits and talks commands authority, at least over her group.
"No," the foxkin woman firmly says as we approach. "We're not returning until we have sufficient power to escort us."
"No one's going to travel during the Slip!" The other unarmed foxkin woman protests. "We need to return! What if the town was attacked? I need to-"
"No," the lead woman says.
"Emma is right," one of the wolfkin men says. "We need to return to town, Irene. We're stronger now than we were when we returned, and we've gained a few more Levels."
"So have the monsters," Irene states. "And don't forget that we only have six guards left. We left with twenty. I want to push us hard to ensure we make it by nightfall when we do leave. If you wish to go to your deaths, go ahead. But I am not leaving until either the Slip ends or we receive sufficient power, and it is quite rude to listen in on another person's conversation."
"We asked the guild where you were," I indicate Terrence. "This is Terrence, a fire-air specialist who recently Ranked Up, and that ring, bracelet, and amulet he's wearing were his rewards for it. I'm [Archon] Reid, and I've recently Ranked Up as well. We were looking for something to do to net us some Experience and saw a job request that would take us through monster-infested land for a day."
Everyone in the party appraises us, though me more than Terrence. Is it because I'm human? Or because I'm claiming to be the [Archon] they no doubt have heard rumors of.
"You are the one who slayed the wyvern?" Irene asks. "We heard of it, but did not come to look."
"Yes," I answer. "I know there is little along the path which will pose a challenge to me, but the small amount of Experience I acquire will suffice. Terrence will no doubt gain more out of it than me. The two of us should suffice as additional protection."
"Big words for a little boy," one of the wolfkin men says.
"Big words for someone who hasn't Ranked up," I say.
"Can you prove you're an [Archon]?" He scoffs.
I point at him and he vanishes. The rest of the party stares in shock.
"I can't smell or see him," Irene recovers first, her expression more curious than anything. "An application of air and light magic to conceal him?"
"No," I answer. "I teleported him to the fields outside of town. I'd contemplated teleporting him to a nesting pit for some air lizards, but they're probably a little too powerful for him. They were above the local average Might a couple of days into the Slip. Should we wait for him to return, or shall we continue our discussion?"
"There you are," Silvia says, and I turn to face her approaching. "I've had my messages sent off, they should arrive in their respective places by sundown or sunup. Until the event has passed, I will remain here in town, though I'll visit my house at least once a day to check on its defenses and the boys."
"You know they're probably snuck off to kill air lizards, right?" I ask.
"Sadly, I do," she says. "And I wouldn't be surprised if they decide they want to try to clear out an entire nesting pit just to imitate you."
"Sorry," I tell her.
"It's fine," she smiles a little. "I know they'll come out alive. They may be hyper and slightly reckless, but they're pretty careful with it comes to combat. Quite skilled at using items, too."
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"Items?" I ask.
"Yes," she nods. "They enjoy making alchemical creations to assist them in combat. One of their favorites is an orb which releases a poison gas when broken. Speaking of combat, have you two found something to assist you in gaining more Levels?"
"I found something more for Terrence than for me," I tell her. "We'll be escorting Irene here and her party back to their town. It seems they arrived here the same day my group messed up that spell and I appeared here. They're finding it difficult to find additional guards to take them back due to the defenses needed here and no one wanting to be gone from their home for too long."
"We didn't agree to that," one of the foxkin men says. "And we'll need a much more sizable force than just two additional fighters. The Slip caused us to lose more than a dozen fighters and ten civilians. Things are stronger now, and we want to make sure that we can return. We're looking for at least forty."
"You won't find forty," I state.
"He's right," Irene says. "Forty was an optimistic amount, George, not an actual requirement. An [Archon] at Rank 1, as well as a Tier II up there, is a sufficient force."
"How do we know he's up to snuff?" The foxkin man asks. "So he can teleport people, but that doesn't mean they're actually Rankers. That jewelry could have come from a family member."
"Notice Lady Silvia's body language," Irene says. "She has a slight deference to them. Reid matches the description of the [Archon] that we heard of, especially including those violet eyes. An [Archon] who killed a wyvern. I have no doubts about his power. If we leave within an hour, we should be able to arrive home by midnight."
"Midnight?" The others exclaim.
"We shouldn't be out past dark!" Emma protests. "Monsters grow more numerous and more aggressive at night!"
"She's right," George says. "And we will not be able to see as well, either. Tonight bodes to be a cloudy one."
The sky is clear at the moment, but I agree with George that tonight will be a cloudy one. It's just a gut feeling that I have.
"I am an [Archon]," I state. "Conjuring up a [Light Orb] powerful enough that it appears as daytime is no issue for me. We will leave in an hour."
"How come you can't just teleport us there?" Emma says.
"I can only teleport to places I've been to," I answer. "And I haven't been to your town before. I'm sure you've heard of why I speak with this accent, yes?"
"Because you're from another continent," Irene answers. "Where the main language is apparently the same. You were participating in an experiment to create a functional dimensional gate between two cities, and your group didn't notice the Slip had begun. The effects of the Slip influenced the gate, and you arrived here."
"Correct," I respond. "Within this kingdom, I have only been in this town and around it. I've also spent time in the forest outside, at Silvia's place, a tower of undead, nesting pits for air lizards, and ruins of the Ancients that had been inhabited by a wyvern. Until I have visited your town, I will not be able to teleport there."
"Then you can fly there and teleport back, then teleport us there!" Emma exclaims.
"He no doubt could," Irene tells her. "Considering he mentioned creating a dimensional gate between two towns, I wouldn't be surprised if he could open one of those and allow us passage after he has visited it once. However, did you not hear what he and Lady Silvia discussed? They are looking to gain Levels. By escorting us there, he and Terrence can kill monsters and gain Experience. This trip will also allow our own protection to gain more Levels as well, if these two are so kind."
"We plan on it," I tell her. "Terrence and I don't intend to hinder growth. We'll allow anything we believe is weak enough for you to pass, and we'll keep watch to make sure it doesn't kill anyone or damage the transportation."
"Thank you," Irene says. "We'll see you at the gate in an hour."
Terrence and I leave the tavern, Silvia walking with us.
"How much of that was you acting?" Terrence asks after we've left town and walked a small bit away from the gate. "You took charge and were a little boastful."
"I've a small amount of ego," I tell him, continuing with the accent in case someone draws close enough to overhear. "But I normally hide it from people. I let some of that out when we started talking with them. Once we reach town, I'll open a gate back here. Actually, we don't have a place to stay, so I'll open a gate back to your home, Silvia, and we'll watch the boys for the night. After breakfast in the morning, we'll return here. If that's okay with you."
"It is," Silvia tells me. "I'll let them know when I check in on them after lunch. Thank you, Reid."
"No problem," I say. "You're sticking around here rather than hunting for Experience?"
"I can get more," she tells me. "Don't worry, I'll make sure I'm at Level 200 before the threat arrives."
"Alright," I say. "How fast do you think they'll be able to get people out here?"
"If the message to the capital arrives today," she tells me. "Then we should have reinforcements in two days. There are enough people in and around the capital who can use [Flight Wind] to bring out a sizable force within a few hours, so the real time-taker will be actually figuring out who can be spared for it and then gathering them together. They'll have to pull from several towns, so two days is the best. Three days is likely."
Kneeling down, I close my eyes as I place a hand on the grass. Something has been bothering me about the way the natural Mana of the world is flowing. This is still new to me, so my estimates may be off. What if I'm wrong and it happens while I'm traveling?
"I'm not sure how safe we'd be," I stand and look at Silvia. "After Terrence and I return here, I'll fly to the capital and open a [Gate] back. There are plenty of monsters in this area and the forest here that they can get Levels here as well."
"I'll need to go with you," Terrence sighs. "As much as I don't want to return to the capital right now."
Without Terrence or Silvia, letting those at the capital know I'm on their side will be difficult.
"Alright," Silvia says. "I've taken on a couple of job requests, so I'm heading to do that now. Enjoy your trip, you two."
Silvia leaves, and I decide to use [World Gate] again, to implement some changes I've figured out for it. All of it has been to improve the stability of the spell.
When I try to activate the [World Gate], however, I find… it not working.
"Everything okay?" Terrence asks.
"Yeah," I frown. "Let me…"
It's not that my spell failed, not exactly. Something actually blocked it. After a few more attempts, I manage to figure out that the block is on the other end. For some reason, I can't anchor the spell to my bedroom anymore.
No matter how many times I try, no matter how I try, my entire house seems to be off-limits to the spell. Is there a limit on how often a [World Gate] can be opened to a specific location? Or am I unable to use it to reach Earth right now?
Focusing again, I set the anchor as Nick's bedroom. This time, the spell works without an issue, the [World Gate] giving us a clear view of my best friend's bedroom. His bed is neatly made, and his floor is clean. His computer is on, showing a chat window along with something on the internet. That's all I can take in during the quarter-second the [World Gate] is open, but I'm pretty sure he was messaging with Lyssa.
The view of the room was from the spot on a wall I usually lean against, so we had a full view of the room. Nick wasn't in there, but he doesn't leave his monitor on if he's not returning shortly.
How would he have reacted if I'd opened it while he was in his room? I know he'd have told my parents for sure. He'd also probably wonder what the heck had happened.
If I wasn't worried about catching Lyssa while she's changing, I'd have opened it up to her room instead. But there was the risk there and I didn't want to take it even if I knew she'd be cool with the accident.
[World Gate] went up to Level 4 with this casting. I'm not disappointed by that low amount of improvement, I'm actually impressed. I didn't think I'd figured out that much for it.
"That wasn't your bedroom," Terrence says. "It looks different than I remember."
"That was my best friend's bedroom," I tell him.
"The Nick guy you mentioned you crush on?" He asks.
"Yeah," I answer. "For some reason, I wasn't able to open it to my room. I couldn't even open it to my house. There might be a limit on how often a [World Gate] can be opened to an area. I'll need to test that more."
"Okay," Terrence looks a little down about something.
He's probably thinking about what's going to happen after I leave. I've been thinking about that as well. Is there really a need for me to create a permanent [World Gate] back before returning? Once I can open the [World Gate] back, I could probably travel back and forth whenever I wanted.
Testing the limitations of [World Gate] would be a necessity, and I can use the resources here to work on building a permanent one. Explaining to my parents about having friends in another world would be weird, but I'm sure they'd accept it. They're like me in that respect – they'll accept that other worlds are real once they find out in a way that does suggest or prove it.
I want to hug Terrence so bad right now, because of how down he looks. Maybe kiss him a little, too.
"You know," I say. "Something Maztlit mentioned hit me last night."
"What do you mean?" Terrence asks.
"He said that a god's influence is limited," I say. "That he can only travel to worlds within a certain distance from Yggril."
"So?" Terrence asks.
"He also made it clear," I say. "That the draw of the world won't affect me."
"I'm not following."
"And that Earth is too far for him to access."
"So?" Terrence asks. "Wait. You mean that Earth isn't just too far for him to draw people from or send them to, but it's too far for the draw of the world, too?"
Which explains why a [World Gate] created by a mortal is needed for me to return home. Whatever drew me here must be above the power of even the world itself, which is why the mysterious boy deity said it was unavoidable. Something cosmic must have drawn me here. That's the only explanation for why I could get here from so far away.
"And if that's true," I say. "Then that means that the draw of the world won't pull me back to Earth constantly, that it won't make it impossible for me to regularly visit those I've met here."
Terrence is quiet for a few moments as he thinks over what I said. Then his face turns crimson.
"I really want to know what you're thinking."
"It's nothing," his face turns even redder.
"Should I try learning telepathy?" I 'muse' to myself.
"No!" Terrence's face might as well be a tomato, it's so red, and I kind of laugh seeing his embarrassment at whatever it is he's thinking.
"Just teasing," I lightly punch his arm. "But if this is true, then it means I'll be able to return often, since returning probably won't be too different than leaving. So once I can leave here, I can also return. I'm also free most weekends."
Unlike other [Archon]s, I can have both worlds. I can be with my friends and family on Earth, but also hang out with my friends here and go on adventures.
Why do I need to choose?
The only complication will be people wanting me to help them out for everything, but I can deal with that easily enough.
Terrence is quiet for a few moments, then he looks at me. Judging by the way he keeps opening and closing his mouth, he wants to say something but is unsure. It's probably a more blatant admission of his feelings for me.
He knows his feelings are reciprocated, but he's still hesitant, even knowing that I can come back here pretty much at will. Is it because of what I said before, that I'd rather know someone for a few months first?
Probably.
"Like I said, though," I tell Terrence. "I need to test the limitations of the [World Gate], if there's a limit to how often I can open it to a spot, or even to a world. Any ill effects that it might have if it's opened too often. Then, depending on how those go, I'll see about opening a permanent gate between worlds, though I'd need to also figure out a way to protect it to avoid it being abused."
The last thing I need is some evil group trying to invade a fantasy world. The last thing either of these worlds needs is that. I could probably handle the group on my own, but I'd rather not deal with it in the first place.
"Ill effects?" Terrence asks.
"Yeah," I answer. "Like if having a [World Gate] open causes a disturbance in either of the worlds, an issue on a world without magic, diseases. We have different diseases between the two worlds. Though I haven't gotten sick from yours and you and others haven't gotten sick from me, that might be an effect of the summoning magic. Every time I open a [World Gate], there's a possibility of diseases from one world entering another. I need to figure out if there's a way to prevent that and do the same protections that summonings do – or if there's one inherent to the spell itself."
I only thought about this while talking with Terrence.
"All of that will probably take me two or three months," I tell him. "But once I have this information for certain, I should be able to deal with things and come back regularly."
"Okay," he looks a little bit happier now.
"So," I say. "What do you think the odds are that we're going to get to fight a wyvern before the big threat?"
"Stop obsessing!" He laughs.