After Becky's big reveal, I also expected everyone else to start sharing secrets. The momentum climbed when Annette shared her mind powers. Besides her, no one else shared hidden information — an estranged parent claimed no lost individual, and no one shared incredible animal morphing powers. However, Nette's secret in the open made our meeting much more productive, and we could all walk away on the same page.

It's decided that we will have a big assembly tomorrow, discuss everything with the newcomers, and invite them to join our home and even our dungeon. To keep information safe, Nette will screen the attendees, and then we'll hold them to an oath.

Our meeting comes to an end. We all exit to the main hall where everyone feasted. Except for a few humans still sipping on ale, the hall is empty. During our meeting, more work was done on the academy building and several rooms for all of us to stay in.

I'm pretty tired, so I make my way to one of the rooms reserved for us. I have to descend four flights of stairs before I make it to my bunk. I let Lana and Becky, the only other two who chose to retire, choose their rooms first.

"Thanks for trusting us," I say to Becky as she enters her room first. The storm warden smiles and gives a slight bow with her head.

"Likewise. You all have a wonderful opportunity here, and I hope to be a part of it." We've already agreed to allow Becky into the dungeon. That'll happen tomorrow during the assembly. Her words are no less earnest, and I find myself appreciating her trust and enthusiasm all the more.

"It was lovely meeting you, Jim," Lana says as she enters the next room. Her cadence pauses before the next words follow. "I… have… a good night."

I pause at her jumbled words. Lana is one of those people who thrive in the company of others. It seems out of character for her to struggle with words — as small as the struggle might be. I look at her questioningly to see if she has something else to say, which doesn't work because her back is towards me, and the door is closing. Somehow, I managed to mess up my goodbye. Oh well, nothing new there. I brush off the departure and make my way to the next room.

It's a quaint square room carved out of dirt and transformed into stone. A bed large enough for two occupies most of the space. There's a cutout section for storing personal belongings and a small private room for washing, cleaning, and other bodily functions.

The bathroom is a massive improvement from the wild outdoors that I've become so accustomed to. In all my time squatting outside, not once did I ever feel good about the deed. Usually, the messier excursions were followed by a frolic in the stream — after proper cleaning. This bathroom is leagues above all of that. Water and fire runes clean and sanitize waste. Similar water runes are used for personal cleaning. Also, there is a sizable tub connected with heated water runes. I had every intention to lay down in bed, but the bath calls my name. I'm too weak to refuse.

I soak and clean off the filth for the second time today. By my standards that makes today a pretty good day. Maybe a decent day. It was a rough day that ended better than it started. I made new friends, learned some skills, and only had to kill one friend and several demons to get here. So maybe it was just a day.

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I breathe in deeply as my body relaxes. I'm not going to keep beating myself up for all the violence, but I'm also not going to be happy with it. I did what I could do. In time, I'll be able to do better. I just need the patience to allow myself to get there.

The thought is convoluted, for sure. That's what I like about Jim. He likes the simplicity of Li, but he has depth and a mysterious vibe that others dig. Jim's a cool guy. I'm a cool guy. I follow the positive train of thought and examine my success.

Killing Fury wasn't ideal, but the gains are remarkable. My chitin summoning material that upgraded to iron scale is now full dragon steel. The evolution in the material is astounding. Compared to chitin or the black iron scales, dragon steel takes less energy to form, is more malleable, stronger, and holds a sharp edge — almost too sharp. I'd try to summon something larger than a dagger if I wasn't in the bathtub. As it is, I settle for the small blade I shape and reshape until I better understand the new material.

Dragon steel has the same setback chitin has, where it takes an upkeep of mana to keep the material summoned. However, the maintenance is much less, and the requirement is less frequent. Another big difference is that the steel feels receptacle to mana influence. Pushing mind mana into my blades took a strong push of willpower. This is not the case with dragon steel. The metal is a sponge for mana.

I scheme ways to enhance the metal to get the most out of it. Mind mana is an obvious choice, and I plan to practice the technique more. Maybe I can combine it with shadow, add rituals to enhance them, or even runes if I learn that skill.

I find myself at the same crossroads I crossed a couple days ago. Do I stick with the mana I have now, or do I continue to absorb mana and stretch myself out? You'd think that once someone crosses a road, they won't have to cross it again. Did I cross the road, though? I remember thinking about this, but I'm unsure of my decision. Man, the memory loss thing is rough…

Perhaps the best course of action is to play things by ear. If mana wants to be absorbed, who am I to turn down the opportunity? On that note, I submerge myself deep into the shallow waters of my tub. Water has always felt like home. Why not add the wonderful mana to my arsenal? Frankly, the little bit of water power I already have is fantastic, and I primarily use that as a source of drink. If I have a part of my soul bound to the ocean, there is no way the desert will survive our next fight. It will bathe in the depths of my power.

I'm high on my own steam while I open my soul to the flowing mana that lingers nearby. The calm, malleable energy is deep with unfathomable power. I can feel the energy wanting to pour into the missing chasms in my soul. I open myself to the power and begin guiding the cool mana through my channels.

At least, I try to guide the mana into my channels. I'm so sure the binding will work, that I'm not surprised when it doesn't. Confidence was my downfall. I forgo taking a deep breath, and begin the binding process again. Of course, it's going to work. Water is my source of peace. It's where I go when I need a refresher. The flowing water obeys my will and begins flowing towards me. My heart beats with excitement. Bones is going to be so jealous of my new trick. I can feel the mana trying to pass through my skin. Once I get it into my channel, water mana will be mine.

Bolstered by my complete confidence, my will solidifies, and I gently lead the mana through my pores. However, despite all my enticings and sweet thoughts, the mana does not pass through my skin. "What the hell?" I emerge out of the water to question my existence and take a breath of air at the same time. Then, with renewed confidence, I try again. And again. And again.

As it turns out, water mana is a slippery fish one can't wistfully grab from the ocean. I feel humbled and a bit defeated. However, no one will know that I tried to bind bath water to my core. And now that I think about it, I'm kind of grossed out and glad it didn't work. Tomorrow, when I take my daily swim, I can try again in a natural water source.

I escape thoughts of defeat and despair and linger in the bath longer. Tomorrow is a new day, and I'm excited about the many prospects of expansion for not only me but also our home. Tomorrow will be a good day.