Chapter 446 - Can you promise? (Patreon)

The question I have is how the spear compares to voidsteel and weapons made of it? Maybe voidsteel is better against physical stuff and this is good against mana stuff?

I also feel a tiniest bit cheated. Yes, in the moment of naivety, I hoped for an arcane item because of the base of the weapon. But damn, that's kind of dumb, I still have trouble understanding damaged arcane items so it would be way too much. Just the fact that with such short preparation and in such an extremely janky way, it's an upper epic item.

I need to make a few hundred more of them after all of this is over. The system will probably limit me somehow, because of course it will, but I should be able to get quite a few shards out of it.

Tess seems to be liking it and as she reads the description I know she thinks of the same thing I did. This could be used as a weapon of mutual destruction against the Champion. Just overcharging it or making it break on impact would be enough.

That silly blonde doesn't even ask and does some [Declaration] thingy and after that, she moves the spear around her, testing its weight and feel.

Well, I don't mind that much, I picked this shape for this purpose specifically.

I turn my attention to the two remaining forms and charge my thermal energy again.

The process is the same as before but knowing the melting temperature and process from before it takes a bit shorter and soon enough both of the items are finished.

It cost me probably a similar amount of mana transformed into thermal energy as what I have gained from beatings. The result is two more spears. One for Min-Jae and the other one for me to examine.

I still am not fully satisfied with the result because of one glaring mistake. The blades are made of glass that is probably tough but I don't think it's indestructible and if it breaks or absorbs too much mana it can become dangerous to its wielder.

Well, we here in group 4 like to live dangerously, but even with such a mistake the item got upper epic. I really need to take as much as we can later.

As I'm examining my weapon Min-Jae moves closer, he glances at the spear, the same as he holds, and then at me.

“Doesn't this entire situation remind you of something?” he asks me.

“Tunnels under the old capital on the 4th floor?”

“Yes, exactly that.”

“Maybe a little bit,” I agree with him, but with a part of my mind I start doing smaller changes to inscriptions and repairing the ones that broke during the “crafting”.

“It's weird to see how differently we handle it now,” Min-Jae continues. To me, he sounds a bit proud of the progress. “Back then these days in the darkness were terrible and I remember how scared I was. I'm scared now too, but at the same time, I feel more confident.”

I pause my work for a moment, “How do you think it would end up if we went through the old capital thing with our current levels?”

“We would probably burn the tree.” He smirks confidently.

I feel amused by his answer and tell him, “I think you could die.”

He stares at me, unblinking and I see how he squeezes the spear he holds so I explain, “You think because you are stronger you would have a much easier time on earlier floors and part of it is true. You could find an easy way to clear the floor quest with your current powers. But each floor we went through something fucked up and our decisions made it more difficult than it was needed.”

Done with small changes to inscriptions I turn towards him, “I know about hundreds of people who would wipe the floor with me on the second floor. From the second floor, The Last King and his warrior supported by a healing aura would cause me trouble even now. The First One, Matriarch, The Living Tree would be able of killing me if I got unlucky or if they surprised me. Even on the 5th floor, there are some enemies I still know could kill me or that I would need to put my life on the line to defeat.”

Min-Jae quietly asks, “Don't you hate it?”

“A tiny bit, but I love the fact. Once I think I'm at the top and there is nowhere to go, someone will jump from behind the corner and fuck me up to climb over me.”

“You are weird but everything you say has this weird kind of twisted logic to it.”

“I know, right? You wanted something else?”

“You probably noticed but people started acting weird, especially Tess and Sophie. Izzy also noticed it, you should talk to her. I…”

“It will be fine.”

“It will be, Nat?”

“Yes, because I'm here.”

“Nat… I think you are affected as well.”

“Yup, I have noticed.”

***

Instead of heading to Izzy right away, I spend a few more hours examining the spear I just made. I find it even more fascinating than I should and spend these hours tinkering with my inscriptions. I make them in a way that enables me to channel mana into the spearhead and increase the cutting force of the weapon.

Every time I do so I feel the glass blade shake as if the sand it's made of wants to move and attack everything close, only its solid form not allowing it to do so.

It's a partially similar effect to ethercrystal. The sword I used to have on the 4th floor that was made from ethercrystal. Its blade absorbed the mana of the enemy it cut and used it to strengthen my body.

It's not exactly the same effect but similar enough for me to wonder if the white sand is made from grounded similar crystals, but that sounds crazy. There is so much of it here.

Sophie also said something extremely crazy, that each grain of sand is a separate construct, every single damned grain of sand has its “own will” or setting or something similar to that.

For a few more hours, I examine the tiny grain of sand that I still hold within my body, trying to reveal its secrets. I stop only when the fighting starts and curiously head towards where it's coming from.

A wave of not monsters, but passengers out of our small alliance attack our group, aiming for seemingly weaker members like Izzy and the boys. The motivation seems to be an intention to blackmail and I watch as 50 or so of these passengers crashes against our 20-30 members.

For some reason, Tess is not here.

Izzy defends herself with her flames, plenty of attacks concentrated on her and she is also helped by the others.

Before the fight can even truly start, dozens of the attackers just stop, frozen mid movement before they turn their own weapons against themselves.

The woman stabs her own chest dozens of times with a short dagger. A thylarin concentrates his mana into a skill before jumping into the attackers, causing an explosion in the middle. A vyssari literally pulls his own head off.

But they do not stop the attack, seeing dozens of people die like that they only intensify, locating the source and turning against Sophie.

Everyone from group 4 is clearly way above them so the people are cut down before even causing trouble, but I also catch a sight of Famir. The man with concentration type skill and Dawnslayer class. His level is lower than that of the two thylarin brothers or Heryd, but he does really well.

From him I spot clear signs of a domain-like skill as well, it seems to mess with the skill activation of others or something similar. Then the man with a calm emotionless expression weaves between them, simple but powerful hits destroying anyone in his way.

Dravos and Drekar want to use the opportunity to escape but Sophie breaks their teleportation and Min-Jae shoots a few orbs through the duo´s legs, keeping them from running. He shouts something at them as they try to stand up and their bodies crumble under the immense gravity.

The expressions they throw at Min-Jae are hateful. Gone is their playful nature, they appear to be more affected than some of the others.

None of the attackers get spared and the fight ends in a decisive win. But even that win came at the cost of ever decreasing mana reserves and even more monsters I can feel in the area.

I wait for a bit longer and then teleport to Izzy when she separates from the group into our room which still has plenty of defenses around it. Teleporting there through my anchor I find her sitting on the ground, Noodle coiled around her.

Pearl-white snake with emerald eyes isn't currently small enough to be tied around her arm, no he is massive, enough to make Izzy barely visible from under him.

It isn't threatening at all towards Izzy. Noodle’s head is gently supporting Izzy´s cheek while the 11y old girl sobs.

“Hello, Dumbthaniel,” her voice sounds weak even as she stops herself crying, turning her wet eyes to me.

“Hello, Izzy. Rough day?” I move close and Noodle shifts slightly, decreasing his size by half and I plop down on the ground next to her.

“It's terrible, all these emotions. I can't bear to feel them.”

“Can't you filter them out?” I ask curiously.

“I can't. He did something.”

“The Champion?”

“Yes, everyone's emotions are amplified. Passengers, monsters. All by a lot. Sophie’s and Tess’s the most. Yours too. I tried to help. I tried to reduce them for us but it hurts.” she wipes her eyes into a sleeve and hugs Noodle’s head.

“So stop.”

“I can't, it will become even worse.”

“No, Izzy, I mean it. Stop.”

“I…”

“Just trust me.”

“Tess will…”

“I know. Don't worry, I will make sure it will be fine.”

“She is…”

“I know,” I repeat and reach down and caress her head. It's not ESM but it feels nice so I add a pinch of her nose, “Tess deserves some of that and I think it will help her. I think It's cute how you try to act all adult-like and responsible, but let us dumb adults deal with it.”

Wordlessly she stares at me and I let her connect to my feelings without any defense.

“W-will it be really fine, Nat? Can you promise?” her hands are still shaking and I can see the desperation in her eyes.

“I told you something similar back on the 4th floor. I can't promise it, but I will do my best.”

“You are still so dumb…” she sobs.

“I hear that a lot.”

***

Tess returns an hour later. She comes to the room where group 4 is and she is smiling brightly. The spear I made floating behind her back together with a few endurium javelins.

Her crown is dimmer than before and there are plenty of wounds on her body.

A finger missing. A piece of flesh torn away as she got rid of the sticky web. She breathes heavily, her limbs damaged by some other attack or something else too.

At first, everyone acts normally as she lets us tell her about what happened. She listens calmly and nods, asking a few more questions and adding her thoughts and some additional organizational stuff.

I observe the conversation go on until Sophie asks her where she was.

For the first time, Tess seems to be confused and falls into silence.

“I don't know,” she answers honestly, the answer surprising her as well. “But it doesn't matter. In a few hours, we will go out and explore the other two tunnels leading into the platform where the Champion is trapped. There might be something useful or different ways to leave. Maybe even a tunnel long enough to avoid the storm and…”

“What the fuck do you mean, Tess! It's dangerous and we won't go for some fucked up expedition!” Sophie stands up, screaming. Her mental abilities activate almost without her knowing.

A feeling of fear washing over us, a touch on the mind. An ability to make you do horrible things against your will.

Tess seems to be confused and opens her mouth to say something but I interrupt her. “We will go.”

The blonde's expression quickly changes and she smiles. “Thanks, Nat.” she then turns to Sophie, “I'm sorry if I did something you dislike. We can talk about it...”

While she talks I also send a message to Sophie, but through her web, (Just follow through for now. I will make sure nothing happens to Izzy.)

I notice she clenches her teeth but doesn't complain.

I already decided to use this situation the way I want, so there is no need to interfere so far. I will just let things happen and poke them in the direction I want.

Still, it's obvious where Tess was and who she talked to, and sooner or later I will need to have a talk with that guy again.

***

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