Vitmori POV

The bridge looks just about done to me. It's a simple wooden affair with railings that goes straight across the water, nothing impressive at all, but I still couldn't help but smile with pride at the job well done. Looking at the sky, I can guess that around an hour has passed since I got started on the bridge, not long at all considering just how much work this would have taken back home.

Standing on the bridge and testing it out a little more, I momentarily got the urge to go for a walk and perhaps explore the forest on the other side of the river, but I was distracted soon enough before I could properly consider it as I sensed a presence in my core chamber.

I briefly think about running over to my mountain so I can meet whoever it is face to face, but I'd rather not keep them waiting long. Plus, now would be a good time to test if I'm able to even leave and then return to my avatar outside of my bubble of influence. With that now in mind, I make my way back to the clearing by the riverside and sit down against one of the trees before disconnecting from my avatar; in a blink, I find my perspective back in my core chamber and spot Trisha walking through the stone sand as she runs her fingers along the murals on the walls of my chamber.

I mentally poke her before speaking up, wanting to give her a moment to at least be aware that I'm in the room with her before possibly startling her by suddenly talking to her. 'What's up Trisha, did you need something?'

She's still at least a little startled despite my efforts as she jumps before pulling her hand away from the mural of Basti and her cubs. "A-ah, Boss. Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, I just wanted to let you know that I'm done with your sword." She says as she crosses my chamber before standing beside my core, addressing it directly.

'Really? That's fantastic! If that's the case, then I should be ready to start heading to the Hegemony.' My delight was clear even to myself, I don't think I even realized how much I was anticipating getting to see this new world for myself instead of through the memories of others. Sure I was heading out on some serious business, but the idea of seeing a proper city without the wear and tear of an apocalypse just had me excited.

Trisha looked fairly surprised for her part, but she still smiled as I could tell she was feeling how excited I was. "I don't mean to hold you back, but I haven't even gotten started on your spear yet Boss, aren't you going to wait for that?"

I mentally wave away the comment before actually offering her an answer. 'I was just waiting for the sword in particular so I could have a proper weapon aside from just a dagger and throwing knives. That being said, when you are finished with the spear, just let me know and I can pull it into my storage and have it ready for my avatar when I need it.'

Trisha nodded thoughtfully at that for a moment before looking a little more confident of herself. "Well if that's the case, I'll take my time and make sure I prepare a great spear for you." She stated confidently before considering something and piping up again. "Would you like me to bring your sword here so you can leave straight away?"

I mentally shake my head at that. 'Nah, could you make your way to the Haven? I'm going to properly say my goodbyes rather than just up and leave like that.'

Trisha bobbed her head once before lowering it slightly out of respect. "Alright boss, cya soon." She enthused as she stood tall quickly enough, turning and leaving as she made her way out of my chamber quickly enough.

Once she was gone, I decided to look for and visit with Dread real quick. I don't find him at first as he isn't in the training room for whatever reason; though after a few minutes of just feeling around for him through our bond, I finally tracked him down to the wolves' den at the base of my mountain.

The scene I came across was rather interesting, to say the least, with a half dozen spitter wolves crowding around one side of the first chamber. Dread stood in front of them, facing a wall with a number of improvised targets between himself and the wall. The air seemed tense as all the wolves watched Dread with clear anticipation. Dread for his part looked intensely focused, his brow furrowed in concentration as he attempted to bore a hole in one of the targets with his eyes alone. All of a sudden, he spit as hard as he could... Only for some of it to come out in a spray as spit dribbled down his chin.

The wolves broke out in laughter at the attempt, their sounds of amusement sounding remarkably close to the cackles of hyenas as they teased him for his apparent failure.

I'm not sure what to make of the scene before me, but rather than trying to figure it out on my own, I decided to just ask as I conjured a ball of green light and made myself known. 'So, what's going on here?'

At my appearance, Dread and the wolves stiffened and suddenly appeared much more attentive to me as they all regarded the ball of light. It was almost cute as I watched Dread mirror the mannerisms of the spitter wolves, their brown fluffy ears perked and at attention, while their tails slowly swayed behind them in delight at my presence among them.

Dread soon spoke up for the group, clearing his throat and wiping his chin as quickly as he could. "Creator Vitmori, you honor us with your presence." He enthused as the wolves followed up with yaps and barks of agreement, though when it came for the moment for Dread to actually explain what he was up to he looked hesitant and a little embarrassed as his ears drooped for a moment. "I was hoping to learn more about my body and the abilities granted to me as a new beastkin made from a spitter wolf, so I came to the den to ask the wolves for training and guidance." He explained dutifully enough while still looking admittedly embarrassed.

'I see... So I take it that you can't spit?' I doubt Dread would have any issues with feats of athletics and combat, but based on the display I saw moments earlier, it is the spitting he's having trouble with.

The spitter wolves snicker quietly in amusement as Dread's ears drooped again. "That's right, I never had the need to spit, let alone spit for distance as the wolves do. Now that I have a practical and tactical reason to do so, I would be remiss to neglect an ability that is unique to me as your paladin."

That's a good reason to practice spitting if I've ever heard one. 'Well, nobody can fault you for your dedication towards self-improvement. I look forward to seeing the fruits of your efforts.'

At that, Dread perks up dramatically. While it doesn't show on his consistently stoic face, his perked ears and swaying tail are clear physical indicators of his mood. "You honor me with your words Creator Vitmori." He enthused, bowing deeply in respect before standing tall once more. "Was there something you needed, or were you just checking in?" He asked, curious as to why I suddenly appeared now that we've moved on from discussing him.

I couldn't help but smile to myself before speaking out to him. 'I was just stopping in to let you know that I'll be leaving for the Hegemony now. If you need anything, even if it's just to talk, let me know okay?'

His ears drooped for a moment but he immediately perked up again, looking much more confident as he saluted with a closed fist tapping against his chest. "Very well Creator Vitmori, I shall stand in defense of your territory until my equipment is done, at which point I will make my way to the Theocracy."

'Thank you Dread, I appreciate your diligence. Good luck with your spit training.' With that, I pull my attention away from the room and call on Jack, Legosi, Oururu, Dionyba, Pratemis, and Frisby through my bond to meet me at the Haven.

With all that done, it was time for the moment of truth; can I get back into my avatar while it's outside of my bubble? Going back up into my core room, I try mentally searching for my avatar, visualizing where I had left it. It takes a few minutes, but before long I'm able to visualize a thin thread coming from my core and going through the stone and beyond my mountain. I focus on that thread and push my mind through it, and when I blink I find myself within my avatar once more, still leaning up against a tree just where I left it.

Sitting under the shade of the tree, I consider what I'm about to do and I still can't believe it. I'm about to leave this forest and see the world properly with my own eyes. Sure, they're eyes made of wood, but they're my eyes nonetheless. I just hope I don't stick out too much now that I'm thinking about it. Will my common sense even hold up in this world?

Well... No use in just thinking about it. Hopping to my feet, I quickly make my way back to the Haven's clearing and I'm greeted with a more active and awake community. The smell of food lingers in the air, though it has clearly all been eaten by now. The majority of kids are at the edge of the clearing, weaving sticks and twigs together to make what look to be fish traps under the guidance of some of the adults.

On the other end of the clearing, improvised targets have been set up using pieces of scrapped wood and two of the older kids and some adults are training with some good-looking bows and a number of stone-tipped arrows. Beyond that, it looks like a majority of the adults are currently out foraging or maybe checking traps.

Looking around some more, I spotted the herbalist's workspace and made my way over, finding Virtisa dutifully grinding away at some kind of gray paste. Intentionally making my footsteps more noticeable in my approach, I step up to the flap that leads into her space and flash a small smile. "Good morning Virtisa, I'm back with news regarding the spiders."

The lizardkin woman and Sekha look up from their work, the duo wearing cloth masks that thoroughly cover their mouths and noses. Though I could at least tell Virtisa was offering me a pleasant smile on my approach, and Sekha was clearly happy to see me. "Good morning Vitmori, I'm glad to hear it, I hope it wasn't too much trouble?" She said leadingly as she went back to crushing the gray paste.

Now that I was standing closer, I could tell the paste had a distinctly acrid scent. It was an odd feeling to be able to smell something so unpleasant yet not experience an involuntary need to react to it. Shaking the thought from my mind I just chuckle a bit as I consider just how much happened between when she asked me to look into the spiders and now. "Well, it was a lot, but I suppose there was no real trouble..." I mused thoughtfully, earning a curious look from Virtisa as she quirked a brow at me. "So it turns out that 'spider village' is actually surrounding a cracked but still living dungeon core. Long story short, after viewing the memories of a spider scion, we were able to determine it was an innocent core that was illegally cracked. I've since made peace with the spiders and I'm currently working with the drakewardens to repair the core. So, you don't need to worry about the spiders coming onto this side of the forest anymore. Oh! There's also something about some extinct magic elven fruits we found growing here, but Reyvyre still needs to do some research on that."

Virtisa looked wide-eyed as I told her the very summarized version of what transpired since she asked me to check out the spiders a few days ago. She ended up taking a moment to think about what I said, setting the pestle down and leaning back in her chair as she glanced between me and Sekha. "Well, I don't quite know what to say... I feel 'good work' may be a little condescending but uhh... Good work, and thanks for your help Vitmori."

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I chuckled softly at her expense, stepping closer and doting on Sekha as I gently scratched the top of her head between her ears, the blue-furred cub murring with delight and leaning into my touch. "Think nothing of it, I got a lot out of this too at the end of the day."

Virtisa bobbed her head before looking around her workspace, standing as she looked through various bundles, wooden bowls, and bottles. "I can't imagine the payout or commission that this job would have been rated for, especially with what you've accomplished if this had been an actual quest placed with a guild. With that said, I don't have much, but I should have a few things that may prove useful to you."

I couldn't help but blink in surprise, pulling away from Sekha as I watched Virtisa go around and grab a few things here and there. "There's no need for that, I didn't do all of that for a reward, besides I've benefited a lot already by taking on your request."

"Nonsense Vitmori, a request was made and a reward must be given." Virtisa said in an admonishing way before stepping up to me and looking up into my eyes while waggling a finger at me. "This is common sense." She then stepped away once more as she took up another pouch and looked through it. "Adventurers often find treasures, goods, and all kinds of boons while out on the job, which is expected. But all of that is not considering their base pay which sent them to go work the request in the first place. No matter how much you may have earned on the side or benefitted, you are still due payment for the work you have done."

I just chuckled a bit, amused by how this young woman was treating me like an ignorant novice. But I could appreciate her frankness and sincerity when it comes to a job well done. "If that's the case, then I won't argue. Thank you for instructing me on the ways of this world." I muse while laying it on a little thick.

Virtisa harrumphed, but I could tell she was smiling underneath her cloth mask as she walked from one end of her workspace to the other before coming back up to me with a few things in her hands. "Like I said, I don't have much, but perhaps you'll find use for these. If not for yourself, then at least you can use them on others or sell them for a small price." She said before holding up a pouch with some kind of herbal pills. "These are general antidotes, using a select mix of ingredients and a dose of mana during its refinement, these pills can be used to treat most kinds of poisons and venoms. There are of course many recipes to make general antidotes which can come in powders, pills, and potions. They help reduce the effects of poisons and venoms, allowing your body a better chance at fighting whatever poison or venom is in your system. Of course, they're more effective if used with life magic and certain kinds of water magic, but they're good enough to be used on their own." She explained, looking admittedly proud at her last comment as she placed the pouch in my hands.

"That's fascinating, the only general antidote I know of is a certain kind of charcoal, and that only works for some kinds of poisons. Magic truly is a rather useful thing to have." I enthused as I gently plucked a pill from the pouch, studying it for myself before dropping it back in with the others. I flashed a smile as I looked at Virtisa while stashing the pills in my storage space. "Though your knowledge and skills are equally impressive to be able to produce something like this despite your limited equipment."

Virtisa actually chuckled softly at that comment as she scratched the back of her head. "It has been a challenge, yes... But this experience has been rather enlightening. I feel I had gotten stagnant in my methods and treatments before I ended up here. Despite the circumstances, I feel I have grown more in my time here with limited supplies and equipment than I ever had back in my shop in the capital." She expressed cheerfully enough before frowning a little. "That said, I'm not about to forgive the bastards behind this anytime soon. I miss my cushy bed and scented candles, not to mention the savings I had stashed away in a chest in my floorboards." She mentioned, sighing with frustration as she sat back down at her workbench.

Now that comment caught my ear as I considered something for a moment before speaking up. "You know of the paladins, acolytes, and mercenaries in my service right?" I ask, while stepping closer to the workbench and doting on Sekha some more.

That earned a curious look from Virtisa, a vaguely wary one at that as she took up the pestle again and went back to grinding the gray paste. "I know of them... Yes?"

I nod intently, scratching my chin for a moment. "Well, they're all currently back in the Theocracy, infiltrating the parts of the church that did this to you all as my agents." Well... Not all of them, but I'm not about to explain the specifics if I don't need to. "Except for Dread, you know Dread right?" I ask and get a silent nod from Virtisa in response. "He hasn't left yet and won't be going back to the church since he can't convincingly return to his old post due to the changes he went through. Instead, he'll be meeting with the imperial spies and assisting them in undermining the church however he can. With that in mind, he should be able to have the means and anonymity to look around and recover your belongings. Not just your things either, but everyone else's stuff if he has the time for it. Of course, he likely won't be able to get every little thing, but a beloved keepsake, a favored toy, a picture, or perhaps someone's hidden life savings? I'm sure he could do that much at least."

Virtisa looked thoughtful, considering everything I'd said before looking up at me and I could sense she was grateful for the offer. "I'll have to bring this up with the others, perhaps we can put together a list." She said rather cheerfully before appearing a little hesitant. "Well... Perhaps I should speak to Zasutir first regarding the existence of those people in your service. He had asked me to keep quiet and trust your judgment regarding them."

Now that was a surprise to me, though I could certainly appreciate Zasutir's discretion regarding the Sinners. They were people who blindly followed orders and did bad things while obeying those orders. While I'm generally not a forgiving sort, they have already suffered the death penalty and now that they serve me, there's no real purpose in punishing them anymore. Especially considering they genuinely wish to do right by the people of the Haven and bring down the ones who orchestrated everything to happen. Besides, the only truly irredeemable ones of the group were the acolytes whom I turned into my healer zombies.

"I see, well... Do you think the others are ready to know about Dread and the others?" I can trust Dread and the Sinners because I know them just as much as they know me. But I can also see from the view of Virtisa and the others.

To them, most of the Sinners are still the aggressors, they're part of the same group that hurt them and many others, ruining their lives and ripping them from their homes. Just like the reformed and corrected survivors of my world, the Sinners are gonna need to work real hard to earn the trust of the others around here, and that is if the people of Haven are even willing to forgive the Sinners for what they did since that is still their choice, to begin with.

Virtisa looked uncertain before shrugging a bit. "I'm not sure, I'll discuss things with Zasutir and see how we should proceed. Regardless I'll talk around with the others and put together a list in the meantime."

"Fair enough." I reply with a nod before offering a bit of a smile. "By the way, I'll tell you first, but I was planning on letting everyone know that I'll be heading out today. Most of my equipment is done, so I figured I should start making my way to the Hegemony's capital sooner rather than later."

Virtisa looked pleasantly surprised by that, bobbing her head once when she then sat up a little more as she had a thought. "Do you have any limits to your storage space?" She asked curiously.

"Umm... I don't think so. At least I haven't found one." I explained as sincerely as I could. It's not like I've gone out of my way to fill up my storage space so far.

At that, I could tell from her eyes that Virtisa was smiling wide behind the cloth she wore. "If it's not too much trouble, could you get us some barrels of salt? I won't ask you to get us food outright, but salt would go a long way for food preservation, general health, and overall flavor of food. We have a single barrel that we got from the cart the slavers brought, but we're running through it rather quickly already in preparation for winter."

I smile a bit before just shaking my head. "You don't even have to ask, and I'll forget you did so you don't try to compensate me." I muse. "I'll see what I can do about bringing both food, salt, and other supplies in bulk. You all are still under my protection, and while I can appreciate wanting to be self-sufficient, you've hardly had enough time to get properly settled in here. I'll make sure you all are stocked during this first winter and we'll see how you all fair on your own next year."

I could sense Virtisa wanted to argue, something about not wanting a handout or her pride being too strong to allow herself to be so one-sidedly provided for. But then her mind wanders to the children of the group and she sighed a bit. "If you could also bring thicker fabrics and furs for warmer clothing and blankets, I'm sure we could use them." She requested before slightly lowering her head. "Thank you for your support, Vitmori."

I smile again and just shake my head a bit. "It's my pleasure." Though with that said I could sense my vassals… should I just call them scions? Well, they had just arrived at the clearing and were looking for me. "With that said, I should meet with the others before I go."

“Of course Vitmori, safe travels.” Virtisa expressed politely before going back to her work with the gray paste. Sekha for her part had opted to follow me out, hopping right off the workbench and onto my shoulder as she mreowled with delight from her new perch.

Back out in the clearing, I spot Jack sitting on Pratemis’ head, chatting one-sidedly with the fire fawn. Oururu sat coiled with Frisby standing right besides him, the duo also talking amongst themselves while a few of the borats quietly meandered around them. Dionyba was nearby but remaining out of sight from what I could tell, I could sense she was just here at my request but didn’t quite care to mingle like the others. Legosi sat nearby the group, accompanied by a certain she wolf and a couple of his other wolves who decided to tag along.

Once I was out in the open, the rest of the cubs rushed me as they started clambering up my body and racing each other to get to my other shoulder. That honor ended up going to Freyli surprisingly enough while the brothers seemed content to be in my arms. “Good morning everyone, thank you for meeting me here.” I called out warmly while standing before them, some of the people from the Haven at that point started to make their way over to see what this gathering was all about. . “I just wanted to see everyone before I take my leave. Now that my equipment is mostly ready, I’ll be making my way to the Hegemony to meet up with Basti. Now even though this avatar of mine is physically leaving here, my core will still be here. So if you need anything at all or need to speak to me about anything, reach out through our bond and I’ll do my best to respond as soon as I can.”

“Safe travels, Vitmori, we shall do our best to watch over this place while your mind is elsewhere.” Oururu spoke out with a smile, lowering his head respectfully before meeting my gaze again.

The others murmured their agreements, and even Pratemis bleated encouragingly. Despite this, Legosi looked uncertain, glancing at the she-wolf who accompanied him and then back at me before looking at her once more. The she-wolf met his gaze thoughtfully, flicking her ear before letting out a low wuff and bobbing her head. At that, Legosi stepped forward, his ears low and his tail slowly wagging in anticipation. “Vitmori, allow me to accompany you. As one from the same pack, it is never good to travel alone. Only together are we at our strongest.” He declared, his voice sounding more confident than his body language displayed.

I smile at him, and I suppose I don’t really have any reason to say no. I would definitely need someone to watch over my avatar if I were to ever need to leave it for any reason, and I personally know just how formidable Legosi can be after all the work I put in fortifying his already strong body. “Legosi, I appreciate the offer and I accept. I’ll trust in you to watch over me and protect my back.”

With that said, Legosi immediately perked up, doing excited little tappy taps with his paws as he basically danced in place before howling with delight; his call soon being joined by the wolves that had accompanied and a few others in the distance.

Then again, Legosi is in charge of his own group. I may lead a group of leaders, but someone will need to take over in Legosi’s absence. “Since you are journeying with me, who will watch over and guide the spitter wolves in your place?”

Legosi tilted his head at that, as if only just now realizing that might be an issue. He looked at the she-wolf curiously and she regarded him with mild surprise as she in turn looked at me before looking back to Legosi. After another moment, Legosi spoke up as he looked at me once more. “I nominate her to watch over the pack in my absence, she already helps me so much and does a lot for our pack, I can think of no other who could do as well as her.”

Regarding the she-wolf, I could tell she was already rather intelligent when compared to the others of her pack and I could easily see the makings of sapience in her eyes and thoughts. Quite frankly, if I don’t do anything right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could start speaking soon enough. “I think you’re right, Legosi.” I muse with a smile, glancing at Legosi before looking at the she-wolf once more. “How about it, are you willing to take on this role?”

For a moment, she looked uncertain and her ears drooped at my attention; though she soon gathered herself, sitting taller and bobbing her head once in confirmation as her ears stood at attention.

I smiled some more and nod in return, reaching out and placing a hand on her head, gently petting her for a moment. “Alright, to aid you in your future endeavors, I shall grant you a name. How does… Garm sound to you?” As soon as I said the name, I could feel the mana shifting in my core before traveling into the vessel within my avatar. The she-wolf tilted her head at the name before yipping in delight.

At her confirmation, the mana travels through her and I do my best to ease the impact as the mana settles around her already ignited mana heart and surprisingly forms a mana ring. By the time it was all done, she looked predictably tired, yet her tail still wagged with clear delight as she turned to leave and rest.

Before I could say anything else, Trisha and Miriam had walked up and they each held out their own bundles. “Hey Boss, sorry about the wait, I was just doing one last check on your new blade.” She explained as she held up the wrapped up blade.

“It’s no problem, I’m in no rush after all.” I muse pleasantly to her before taking up the bundle. I could already tell it was a well balanced blade as I quickly went about unwrapping it.

What I saw was a beautiful mint green blade with a slight curve at the end, it was fairly wide and had a single meticulously sharpened edge. The guard was a simple sideways S made of a polished gray steel of some kind. Finally, the pommel itself was a matte black medallion with what looks to be cat’s paw print stamped in the middle. All in all, it was a beautiful blade and I almost felt bad that I would have to use it for combat. “This… This is a falchion isn’t it? It’s a beautifully well made piece. You said you would make the sword better than the dagger and you certainly delivered. Now I can’t wait to see what you’ll do for the spear.” I muse with delight as I look over to Trisha.

Trisha looked both proud and embarrassed, her cheeks almost as red as the flames of her forge as she scratched the back of her head. “Aw boss, you’re just saying that.” She enthused before flashing a grin.

I smiled a little more at her reaction while stashing the blade away in my storage space before looking over to Miriam as she held up her own bundle. “Here Vitmori, I admittedly got some practice making cloaks for Frisby and some of the others before I got started on yours. I hope you like it.”

I just chuckle a little at that comment. “If that was just practice, then I have high hopes for this.” I muse kindly as I unfurled the brown cloak and pulled it on. It was a cloak, that’s for sure. I just wish I could properly appreciate the feel of the fabric with my wooden hands but it looked pretty nice. It consisted of four separate cuts of fabric which did well to conceal my overall frame, a hood that obscured my face rather thoroughly if I were to slightly hunch over and… Oh nice! It has hidden pockets! “You added pockets to my cloak? I didn’t even think about that, nice work!” I enthused, making sure Miriam knew just how happy I was with her work as I went about fastening the cloak’s clasp around my neck.

Now, between my new sword, cloak and the anticipation of heading out on my first expedition in this world, my day couldn’t possibly get better. “Alright, I should really be heading off now. I wanna try to make as much ground as I can before night falls.”

Looking at my cubs I get down to my knees, setting them down and making sure to give each one a loving pet and a throat scratch before pulling away. "I'll be back real soon, be good and stay safe kiddos. I love you all." As I stand, the cubs jump for me again and it takes everything I have to gently nudge them down and dodge them until I'm forced to run a little ways away so they couldn't cling to me. I know for a fact if I let them keep me here now, I'll definitely have a much harder time trying to leave later.

Casting one more look at the Haven and everyone, I flash a grin before looking over at Legosi as I pat my leg and beckon him over. “Come on, we’re off!”