The Calling of Wrath - Book 2 - Chapter 8 - The Sins (Patreon)

                                                            Cassandra
                                          Year 820 | Month 4 | Day 27

It takes me an entire week of sitting at the cape and killing monsters before I finally get enough to level The Calling of Wrath up to level 3. But I don’t do it just yet, instead beginning to make my way back to the Conjunction area since today is the last day of the Conjunction.

Which is rather good timing, all things considered.

I stretch a little as I walk before briefly glancing at the tiger Sacred Beast who is walking next to me. The guy had gotten a lot more comfortable and less formal around me over the last week, since he was the only one acting as my guide the whole time the Conjunction was going on.

Kind of makes me wonder what his job is here, but that’s not really my business.

When I tried to thank him and the Ancestor for their help, all they did was reject my thanks and tell me that they’re helping me to help themselves. Which I honestly prefer over owing them a favor, so I’ll take it.

I don’t like owing people favors.

We continue walking through the forest below Yggdrasill’s branches until we reach the area meant for the Kingdoms’ representatives where I find everyone seemingly packing up. Meaning that the last meeting of the Conjunction has already come to a close.

Over the course of the week, I’ve spent the majority of my time at the cape just killing monsters. But I have gone back to the Conjunction area beneath the tree each night to sleep and catch up on everything happening in the Conjunction. Or at least, everything important that’s been happening.

Most of it has just been planning the wars against the invaders, along with Nidhogg’s decision to send a few Sacred Beasts to each continent in order to handle the Guardians sent from other planes.

Although they also decided for both Aulta and Liathtria to send reinforcements over to Ardene since they were struggling a lot more with the invaders than Aulta – who had theirs cleared out and made an alliance with – and Liathtria – who is in the process of warring with the Duchy of Viette, who is the last group of invaders on Liathtria at the moment.

I sigh at the thought, briefly feeling some pity for whoever ends up going to that burnt excuse for a continent of sand and sun as I reach the main area beneath the tree. But before I can head over to my family, I’m stopped by a Sacred Beast jumping down and landing in front of me.

“Wrath, the Ancestor wishes to see you one last time before the Conjunction draws to a close,” the humanoid Sacred Beast with bat-like wings says right in front of me. “Please head his way when it’s convenient for you.”

“I’ll go now,” I tell the man with a nod of my head before starting to walk up towards the path through the tree.

I wanted to talk with him anyways.

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“So you have enough EXP to level the skill up now,” Nidhogg says as I stand at the edge of the platform next to him overlooking the people down below who are all busying about packing everything and moving their stuff to the ships. “Was there something you wished to ask me about the skill?”

I glance at him for a moment before looking down off the platform again while answering, “Yes. I wanted to know just what the skill will be able to do at its highest level.”

Nidhogg doesn’t say anything for a moment, making me look over at him just to find the dragon in his humanoid form gazing out over the people. And it isn’t until several seconds pass in silence that he answers, “I do not know.”

I blink at that. “Excuse me?”

The dragon in humanoid form turns his gaze to me, his eyes staring into my own as he explains, “There has never been a Wrath to bring their signature racial skill to its max level before, so I don’t know what the skill will do.”

Really? That’s a surprise.

“What about the other Sins? What did their max level signature skills do?” I ask only to add, “Actually, what are their signature skills?”

If mine’s The Calling of Wrath, what are the others called? And what do they do?

Nidhogg turns his attention back to the people down below as he answers, “There’s The Reign of Pride, The Throne of Greed, The Void of Gluttony, The Eve of Sloth, The Moon of Lust, and The Pull of Envy. Each of them gives three possible uses, just like The Calling of Wrath. But unlike The Calling of Wrath, one of these three uses are different for each of the Sins.” The dragon turns to look at me. “All of you can use your signature skill to bring out your Sin in everyone who hears you, and you can transform into a ‘random’ monster of your Sin until you finish your Sin’s transformation, when you’ll be able to transform into any monster of your Sin.”

The second use of the skill then. A use that I haven’t ever actually used.

He looks out over the people again while he continues, “You already know that The Calling of Wrath’s third use is to infuse all of your Wrath energy into a skill and use it to attack. Meanwhile The Reign of Pride lets the user infuse their Pride energy into breaking through any sort of mental attack, assuming they have the energy for it. The Throne of Greed lets them use their Greed energy to temporarily steal and use a single skill of their opponent. The Void of Gluttony lets the user use their Gluttony energy to devour an attack coming at them and convert the attack to Gluttony energy. The Eve of Sloth uses their Sloth energy to heal the user in both mind, body, and soul, or a user of their choice. The Moon of Lust uses their Lust energy to mind control and charm a single user. And The Pull of Envy lets the user drain away whatever type of energy their enemy is using both from their body and their skills using their Envy energy.”

My eyes widen a little at the long explanation before I look out over the people down below as well.

That’s… a lot.

“Of the seven Sins,” Nidhogg continues, glancing at me as he does so, “Wrath is always the strongest in a frontal assault. Wrath is the only one of the Sins with a build meant solely for combat. For chaos. And for destruction.”

I turn to meet his eyes again right when he finishes, “You will, in the future, have the pure destructive force necessary to destroy the entire System yourself should you wish to do so. And you may very well wish for that.” His eyes narrow. “So don’t let your Wrath consume you like your predecessor did.”

Don’t let my Wrath consume me…

I frown at that before looking out over the people again without saying a word in response. And Nidhogg does the same a few seconds later.

Then we stand in silence.

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