Ford returned to camp quickly enough, especially since Ace decided to slow down enough for her to catch up. And now she sat by the fire examining her stat screen, willing her skills to organize themselves by class.
Name: Ford Sinn; Gender: Female; Race: Human; Grimoire: Phosphophyllite; Class: Ruler/Sin/Angelic; Level: 23.
Abilities: STR: 55 + 10 (65); PER: 40 + 20 (60); END: 65; INT: 61 + 20 (81); AGI: 68 + 20 (88); CHR: 32 + 15 (47); LCK: 25 + 10 (35); WIS: 60 + 20 (80); SOL: 42.
Open skills? Yes/No?
Yes
Skills: Natural: Carry Weight: 325 Kg, Quick-Witted, Resilient, Immovable Will, Cook, Sleep Paralysis, Silent Intimidation.
Labor
Carrier: Void Warehouse 5/5
Blacksmith: Folding 1/1, Heating 1/1, Shaping 1/1, Quick Enchantment 1/1, Creation 5/5, Multi-Enchantment Items 5/5, Soul Fire 1/1, Soul Hammer 1/1, Soul Creation 5/5, Soul Enchantments 5/5, Soul Enchanting 5/5
Mage
Space: Size 1/1
Destruction: Essence thrower 5/5, Essence Volley 5/5, Essence Ball 5/5, Essence Mortar 5/5, Essence Manipulation 1/1
Possessor: Mechanized Servant 5/5, Self-repair 5/5
Void: Destructive Field 5/5, Gravitational Pull 5/5, Mana Pool 5/5, Energy Release 1/1
Archer
Sniper: Essence Shot 5/5
Beast Master
Companions: Speak 5/5, Bond 5/5, Senses 5/5, Companion Stats 1/1, Companion Class 1/1, Companion Skills 1/1, Companion’s Form 1/5
Warrior
CQC: Hand-To-Hand Combat 5/5, Energy Pulse 5/5
Knight: Warning 1/1, Comms 2/5, Strategist 1/1, Party Stats 5/5, Radar 1/5
Sin
Berserker: Weapon Mastery 5/5, Crystal Heart 5/5, Blood Controller 5/5, Crystal Weapon Storage 5/5, Crystal Battle Music 2/5, Blood Weapons 5/5, Regeneration 5/5, Embracing Pain 5/5, Psychosis 5/5, Targeted Slaughter 5/5, Battle Control 5/5, Essence Enforcement 5/5, Blood Salvos 2/5, Boiling Blood 2/5, Berserkers Rage 1/1, Holistic Shield 5/5, Holistic Kill 4/5, Linchpin 5/5, Hard-Shell 5/5
Fox: Siphon 5/5, Sleight Of Hand 1/1, Copycat 1/1, Fox Den 1/1, Swap 1/1
Angelic
Sacrifice: Area Cleanse 5/5, Replacement 5/5, Life Line 5/5, Loving Sacrifice 1/1, Banishing Light 5/5, Plead 5/5, All-Knowing Light 1/1
HP: 715/715
STM: 6,630/6,630
MN: 351,759/351,759
MNP: 9,958,000/10,000,000
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
EXP: 1,358/8,143
STM Recharge: 663/sec
MN Recharge: 700/sec
Grimoire Level Progression: 0%.
8 skill points are available
‘Ah, that is so much easier to read. And it’s so nice having most of my stat points back in INT and WIS,’ Ford thought. Then turned her attention to her EXP, ‘Though it’s troubling knowing I didn’t get any EXP from the fight. Especially since that means they’re still alive.’
“Yes, but that’s future Ford’s problem. The important thing is how neat and organized the skills are now. Praze me for my greatness,” Greed said, distracting Ford from her thoughts.
“You mean the stone angle. She’s the one who organized everything in the blink of an eye,” Wrath corrected.
‘Shut up, both of you! Neither of you are helping,’ Ford thought, interrupting the argument before it started. ‘We need to think of a plan to stay alive right now,’ Ford said.
“Do the simple thing and do what we’ve been doing. We keep moving,” Wrath said.
“That is the best solution we have,” Greed agreed.
‘Fine. We’ll eat, then keep moving.’
Then a tap on Ford’s shoulder drew her attention to her right, and she turned to see Benet. He fiddled with his thumbs as though he felt nervous to ask something, then he spoke, “Can I ask a serious favor of you in private?”
Ford’s eyebrows creased, and she nodded. Standing and following Benet a little way out of the camp to where no one but the twins could hear them, Ford asked, “What’s up?”
Benet scratched the back of his head nervously, “Well, I need a favor. See that light over there?” he pointed to a glow of light over the horizon.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“That’s my hometown of Hobtin. My family lives there, and I would like to see them. Can I go do that? Just to see if they’re all right.”
Ford scratched the back of her head in thought, then sighed, “I can’t let you do that.”
Benet looked visibly upset for a moment, then schooled his expression and asked, “Why? It’s not that far away. Thirty minutes with Ace is all I’ll need. Please, I’m begging you, I need to—”
Ford raised her hand and cut him off, “You know why. We’re being hunted by every sentient being on every planet in the solar system. If you go there, not only will you put yourself and us in danger, but you’ll also put your family in danger as well. Sorry, but I can’t let you go.” Ford explained, then turned, returning to camp, and sat in her spot next to Lilly before Benet asked to speak with her.
“I should’ve known you wouldn’t care!!” Benet yelled at Ford from where he still stood outside camp. Everyone jumped at Benet’s yell, except for the twins, who knew what was happening. “You never cared about me or any of us! You’re just keeping us together, so you’ll be safe! We’re cannon fodder to you, aren’t we!? Aren’t we!!?” Benet continued to yell.
“That’s enough, Benet!!” Ford yelled back at him, standing to face him.
“Or what!? You’ll beat me! You have no family, so I’m not surprised you don’t care about anybody but yourself!”
“I said be quiet!!” Ford yelled again, rage coursing through her body so powerful she almost couldn’t hold it back.
“Silence him. He’s not worth the trouble,” Wrath whispered in Ford’s ear.
“She’s right, Benet,” Ee said from her hammock suspended mid-air and a nearly finished sculpture in her hands, “It’ll be too dangerous to see family. You’ll just get yourself and all of us killed.”
“It’s called caring for other people and family! You should try it sometime,” Benet fired back at Ee angrily. Ee immediately stopped widdling at her carving and stared at Benet hatefully for a moment. Then she tossed the carving into her shadow storage and rolled over, turning her back to them.
“I think he hit a nerve.”
“Do it again!”
Ford shook her head and said, “Look, Benet, I know you’re upset, and I understand that. But I can’t let you go. I’m sorry.”
Benet clenched his fists and looked down at the ground before saying, “Try and stop me then.” He turned on his heels and ran into the darkness toward the light. But before he got more than a few meters, a glowing purple sphere formed around him, and his movements slowed to a crawl. Ace cast a level 1 Stasis Field on Benet and was almost completely frozen in time.
Ford sighed and casually jogged up to Benet, getting in front of him. She stuck her arm out at head level to him, and Ace dispelled the Stasis Field replacing it with a Time Field, speeding up time within an instant. Benet charged forward at an incredible speed before running into Ford’s outstretched arm and flying a meter forward before hitting the ground with a loud thud.
“Sorry, buddy. But I can’t let you go,” Ford said with a sigh, then shook her head and carried him back to camp over her shoulder. Once she returned to camp, she put him in his tent and began pulling out the ingredients she needed to cook dinner to blot out Benet’s hurtful words to anger her. ‘If only he knew,’ Ford thought and shook her head again.
Lilly put a hand on Ford’s shoulder and said, “If ye nade someone to talk wi’, I’m ‘ere.”
Ford put a hand on Lilly’s and said, “Thanks, I just need to do something productive right now and cook.”
“OH! Can we have fried chicken!?” Tanya asked excitedly.
Ford chuckled, “I’ll see what I can do,” she said in a slightly better mood.
***