As he fell down to sure death, David's first instinct was grabbing the eel flying above him carefree and uncaring of his new master's free-falling state. Still, it didn't work; Dave kept falling, screaming like a doe giving birth, and grabbing the unfortunate flying eel solved nothing. Now two of them were falling.
He had only a few seconds to solve the problem, but was there really any way actually to solve it? No, there wasn't. Luckily for him, the Ancient was not a sociopath, so David ended up falling into a little river that followed the garden for all its length. The splashing was still severe, but more than wetting his hair and leather suit—which he found out was hydrophobic—no damage was done.
"Bloody scrubber! You are a sociopath!" He shouted to the wind; before he knew, he went too far and repented a little bit.
Dave sighed, then used Roy's secret technique to find a new calm.
"Relax and take it easy, David…Relax."
Now swimming around him, Wushu struck him with his horns as a payoff for having gripped him like that. Dave apologized to the serpentine excuse of a dragon and finally managed to get out of the water.
Sitting with his arse on the ground, David took in his new environment.
The forest was thick as he expected, lush and mossy. The river was green, for it streamed on a bed of rocks that had been entirely covered with moss that shone red every few seconds.
The vegetation around him was alive; the trees were tall and thick, taller than the ones he had seen in the jungle, their bark had little veins that every once in a while pulsed with blue and violet. It was clearly a byproduct of the Source. Another perk of the lush flora around him was that it seemed to visibly breathe and…wave.
The tree slightly moved at their base, it was barely perceptible, but they moved, while the mushrooms of many different colors that sprouted all around the tree by which he had sat moved in a much more enthusiastic way. They almost seemed to salute him.
"This is creepy."
However, David had bigger things to worry about.
Attributes
Health: 100%
Stamina: 100%
Well: 82.3%
Sighing to his Status Screen, David turned toward the eel, "So… Wushu, may I, uh—borrow your Resilience or something? Or, can you absorb my Well, you do feed on Source, no?"
Wushu stopped in mid-air—a thing which still amazed David—he looked at him right in the eyes, then turned his face and kept moving around in a wavy pattern.
"That must have been a no. I wonder what use I'll have of a Chinese dragon…couldn't she focus her effort on the Ali'ati? She could have gifted me with a giant fish that could suck away some Source Poisoning; it would have definitely been more useful than you are." The moment he said those words, Wushu discharged lightning from his horn, hitting something behind David's back.
A little scream and a little pee came out from David, but another shrill came out from the thing that had been hit by the lightning behind David.
Frogger Poisoner
Level: 9
The little thing, lying paralyzed on the ground, was a blue frog that walked on its hind legs, while its forelegs were almost as big as those of an infant, a very beefy infant that had hit the gym for years.
The wide-eyed David shifted his gaze from the Frogger to the dragon, "Did you just save my arse, Wushu?"
Wushu ignored him, at first, then straightened, pointing at the Frogger.
Indeed, the beast was still alive, or the Source’s info would have stated otherwise.
"Dammit," David pointed his hand at the creature's face, then invoked Arcane Missile.
1...2...3...4...5 missiles all reached for the creature's face, every missile managed to find its eyes, splattering them, and slowly the added damage managed to kill it.
Homing Arcane Missile (Fast Magic-Skill) reaches level 4. 1.3% Well filling per cast. 4% increased missile agility.
That was not the only notification he received.
The Source – Quest
Source Quest! End the Frogger's plague developing in the Garden-Forest!
Upon completion, you'll reach Level 4 and receive a Passive Attribute Skill Choice-Token!
"Few…that was not easy, and it didn't even give me a level up." Said David, before turning to look at Wushu, "Hey, Wushu, I don't suppose you have some sort of—Wushu?"
Turning around to look for the Dragon's absence, David saw him trying to feed on the Frogger's body.
"Eew…can't you just bite it? Do you have to swallow it down like that?" David suggested as he saw the Frogger's corpse halfway through the dragon's throat.
Wushu stopped for a second; his pupils moved left and right, he was thinking, but then he blinked and kept gorging down the creature. Once it was all the way inside of its belly, stretching him unnaturally—given that the frogger was twice the dragon's size—Wushu started shining and emitting lightning; its shine grew quickly in intensity, it became so powerful that David had to look away, then the light receded, and the Source spoke.
The Source
Wushu has reached Level 8.
Resilience + 1, Charisma + 1
Wushu has received 3 free Attribute points.
Wushu is placing the points… Constitution + 1, Alacrity + 1, Mind + 1.
"Oh, so I don't get a saying in this?" David asked.
Wushu had considerably slimmed down from the weight he had gorged but still looked full; he stared at him, then turned the other way.
"Say, since it's clear that you understand me, in some way or another, tell me, is Constitution what makes your body grow?" He asked.
After a second of hesitation, Wushu flew around, making a circle-shaped, clockwise movement in the air.
"Woah…was that a yes?"
Again, the circle.
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"Are you answering my first question about Constitution or the fact that you understand me? No, wait, that was a dumb question."
Indeed Wushu made a circle.
"Yeah, thank you. Well, what I wanted to say was this...wouldn't it be better for you to place everything in Constitution and eat until you become big enough to rule the—" David raised his arms to indicate the forest around him, "—Garden-Forest?"
Wushu answered by making the symbol of infinite in the air, followed by a lot more signs that he had no idea how to interpret.
"Alright, let me stop you right there… you've got your reason, but if you—" He hadn't even stopped talking that he was awarded something else.
A.S.U.T. is now level 18. Universal Translation 18%0
"Oh. Wait, wait, wait, this is very, very good. Please, Wushu, keep speaking your nonsense as we move around," David said, grinning. But just to spite him, Wushu did not mimic again.
"Mean, dragons are mean, just like their masters, no, former masters."
David engaged his Stealth Style, then decided to take a more mental approach to his problem. He had to stop and think.
What did the Ancient say to him? "That he had all the tools."
"I have all the tools to survive? But, my life will start declining in just a few minutes now. I'm almost full, and the next time I'll be able to use Arcane Discharge will be in thirteen hours from now…"
Did he really have to use the Skill-Token he desired to stash away just for that? He could have used them for more intelligent things…but it seemed he couldn't.
"Well, I guess I'll have to use them and see where this will lead."
Once again, with his back on a tree, David willed for his Skill-Token to be placed into Arcane Discharge. He had to use seventeen of his Tokens.
Arcane Discharge reaches level 3. Instantaneous. 23 hours fifty minutes.
.
.
.
Arcane Discharge reaches level 20 (MAX). Instantaneous. 22 hours twenty-five minutes.
The Source
Arcane Discharge has reached the maximum level. Reach Class level twenty-one to increase its level further.
David wasn't given enough time to respond to that situation that he was prompted with a choice.
The Source
Skill Rank-up!
You have reached a deeper level of understanding in Arcane Discharge. New segments of Arcane Discharge's Archive have opened for you, but you can choose to learn and apply only for now. Choose wisely.
Dispelling Arcane Discharge: Releasing Arcane Discharge also Cancels/Dispels anything placed on your body (as long as you are not blocked from conjuring magic).
Fast Arcane Discharge: Arcane Discharge cooldown is permanently halved.
Poisoning Arcane Discharge: Arcane Discharge uses the Source Poisoning in your Well to Source Poison the sentients around you (split for each individual in the immediate vicinity).
Powerful Arcane Discharge: Arcane Discharge turns your Source Poisoning into sheer Arcane power and hits everything in your vicinity in a spherical pattern.
Shocking Arcane Discharge: Arcane Discharge releases a shock wave physically disrupting your vicinity.
A few of those choices were incredibly appealing, but David knew that he was forced to choose only one of those spells.
The Source
Arcane Discharge is promoted to Fast Arcane Discharge; the next available Rank-up will be at Skill level 40. Skill level has been reset.
Arcane Mastery reaches Level 3.
Fast Arcane Discharge reaches level 3. Instantaneous. 11 hours, fifty minutes cooldown.
"Another thing I forgot to ask," David said to himself as he noticed his Arcane Mastery reaching Level 3. But then something clicked.
"Why didn't it start at level 1?" Arcane Mastery seemed to work like a basic threshold for his Mastery of Arcane Magic-Skills. It increased the minimum level they could have. Indeed it was a good thing, especially as he evolved more and more Skills and his Arcane Mastery kept climbing.
Now he had to think about what to do with his remaining twelve Skill-Tokens. If he invested them all at that point, he would lower his cooldown to…10 hours and forty-five minutes. However, his Skill was off cooldown now; leveling it up had formed it anew. He could use it or wait a few minutes longer for his Well to fill entirely and then see how it went from thereon.
"Yes, let's wait. We've got froggers to track."
Unknowingly grinning, David got up. Although getting him closer to death than he had ever been, this incredible new life was turning out to be very exciting. He had never been an adrenaline junkie and would most likely never really become one, but there was something special about having the chance to become as free as the Ancient had told him.
"I hope the weird, old-hag wasn't lying to me," David said to himself, "Alright, Wushu, lead me to wherever these frogs live! Lead the way!"
The Loong stopped in mid-air; he seemed to be a little sleepy; it was likely that it was too full, yet it seemed to shrug and indeed proceed on.
"Wait, you really know the way?"
The dragon lazily turned around, then even more lazily flew in a small clockwise circle.
"Bloody—then please go on; I'll be right behind you." But David had to ask, "Do you know the way because you live here or because you have some power I haven't read about in your status? Oh…wait, maybe you can't answer to that, should I reformulate the—"
The dragon answered; he made an upward circle, then descended toward the ground, slithering on it for a little before getting back in mid-air.
"Oh, it's because you are from here…Wait! I understood you! Great Scott, A.S.U.T. makes miracles. I can speak with animals now, holy moly, my mother should have called me Francis."
So they walked on, trudging through the lush vegetation of the jungle that with each passing step became more and more dangerous, moving in toward only God knew where, or in this case, only Wushu.
And yet, since he had managed to survive the fall buying a few hours to his impending doom, Dave's much freer mind kept going back to what the Ancient had said. He had not asked enough questions. There were still so many, yet he knew something very, very important had been left aside, something he just couldn't find, something at which he believed he had thought about yet simply could not bring to the top of his head. Maybe time would help him understand what was really bothering him.
***
"Nothing, Captain. We'll have to call for permission from upstairs to get through this mess," said Five returning from the borders of the Ancient's estate. His senses were muffled by the innumerable forms of life that filled the Garden-Forest, including the trees. Everything was alive—in the sentient sense of the word—in there.
Virael was fuming; he nodded.
"Three. You shall scout the subject; we are free to do as much. Do not get yourself in danger but try to scout him as closely as you can. I will have to make a few calls." Virael shook his head, "This is getting bigger than I thought; all the support they are giving him is simply ridiculous."
"Something is brewing, captain," added Five. Cyana thought Five was smirking under his black helmet. Still, she sat down and did as she was told; spying on such a ridiculously low leveled mage would be child's play for her.
***
Virael left, leaving Five to do his bidding. He knew that his mission was vital and that losing the only Trespasser they had got would cost them dearly.
On his small, dark-framed device that appeared out of nowhere, he kept just a few numbers. Those numbers were all the connections he needed. Fiendom Resources, Headquarters The Castle, The Command, and lastly, Father
Of course, he dialed The Headquarters; it was the only number he would need to contact, given how the situation had turned.
The device formed a spherical muffled zone; it would be very hard to break through; he knew that even Five did not have the knowledge or the resources to hack through his device and hear his discussion.
"Captain," said the voice on the other end of the device. It was crystal clear as if the speaker was there with him.
"We've run into an impasse," answered Virael.
"Blood Fay or Wood Fay?"
"A very, very important Wood Fay."
The voice started listing the names as if it was a broken record, "The Speaker? The Void-caller? The–" but Virael had no need to hear them all; he already knew they had contingency against The Biomancer.
"It's The Biomancer."
"...Gravity Code?" There had been a moment of hesitation in hearing the name; it was likely that Virael had not delivered a pleasant piece of news. Instead, the Gravity Code represented the urgency of the problem; in a growing order they were, Orange, Red, Blue, Violet, Black. Five codes, like the Warden's ranks.
Virael knew that he had time but pushed it just a little farther up than needed; he wanted to make haste.
"Blue," he answered.
"Recorded. Wait for further instructions, Captain." The call ended there.
But Virael's communication did not end there. The moment he interrupted the call with the Headquarters, The Command called him. For the third time in two days.
It had never happened before.
"Virael," he answered.
"State of things, Captain?"
"We have found his current location. Waiting for instructions from the Headquarters," said Virael.
"Captain, I don't need to remind you that the more time passes, the higher the chances of that Trespasser unlocking the Title and escaping. If we do not finish this soon, our plans will go to waste."
Virael knew the speaker, obviously, "—then you should not have transferred that Title to such an inexperienced subject. It was your mistake, Command. If you had forced the mother to pass it down to one of our choosing, our plans would have never gone haywire."
"That is not something you have any word in; besides, we have already taken contact with a freelance Trespasser. He will take charge of finding and transporting the Warden to our planet. From there to having that Human pass down the Title will be a child's play. But—if we allow your...culprit to grow with free reins, things may spiral out of our control."
Virael knew that it was all connected. He would have to do his part if he wanted to have at least a chance of becoming a Warden. He was the most likely candidate, but he had to finish what he started, and he had to do it as silently as possible because when the time came, he would have to look like a saint.