Soulweaver 47: It's Weasel Stomping Day! (Patreon)

Congratulations! [Nobleman’s Steel Shortsword]’s Ability [Venom Strike] has leveled up to F - 3.

Congratulations! [Nobleman’s Steel Shortsword]’s Ability [Venom Strike] has leveled up to F - 4.

The messages kept coming in as Aerion ripped into the Weasels, even as I stood around doing nothing. It was kind of amazing, watching Aerion do her thing. She’d even gained a level, bringing her [Sylvan Reaver] Blessing to F - 6, and her Dominion had climbed 3 more points to 13.

I’d told her to spend five points into Vigor to capitalize on the exercise she was getting, and she’d already leveled that by 5, hitting her new ceiling of 25.

The weasels’ aggressive nature made things easy for us, saving us the hassle of running them down or surprising them. 

There was definitely an energy to this forest that I couldn’t place, and I suspected it was the same energy that made these weasels so big and strong. As Aerion had said in the Trial, warriors came here to train for a reason.

After our first victory, we took the next weasel on together, using the same strategy, except this time, we used those verbal commands I’d briefed Aerion about. Fall back, Attack, Switch Off, and Lightning for when she used her shock ability. It wasn’t all that powerful now, but it’d already gained a few levels, and was visibly stronger. Even my shield got some action, taking several hits from the weasel before Aerion finished it off. [Mirrored] had leveled to F - 7 in the process.

Not only were our tactics and confidence improving, I was beginning to see that with enough Initialized gear, my opportunities for leveling far outstripped that of a normal person.

Take Aerion, for example. Her Blessing leveled through combat, and especially when she used Reave and her Lightning ability. That was how most Blessing holders leveled.

Except, I gained experience when Aerion leveled. I gained experience when Reave leveled. I gained experience when Aerion used that shortsword, and whenever Aerion’s enchanted robe took damage. 

I gained experience when I used my own weapons. I gained experience when my armor and shield took a hit.

I’d of course hoped for something like this, back in Cosmo’s bar when he first summoned me. I’d gleaned what little I could from the Blessing descriptions of all the ones on offer, and taken a gamble, leveraging my own gaming experience to make the best decision I could.

It was only now that I was seeing just what a jackpot I’d landed on. Other Blessing holders wouldn’t hold a candle to me. The only question was how well the other Champions had chosen.

If, like me, they noticed the exploits and took advantage of them, I could be up against some stiff competition. I refused to get complacent until I knew more.

Then I shook my head. Why was I even thinking about the others? If anything, I ought to be happy if they’d chosen well. We were supposed to team up, not attack each other.

After the second kill, our movements started to get more fluid. These creatures weren’t like the goblins in the dungeon—they adapted and reacted in intelligent ways. One actually did run away, just that their fighting instincts seemed to compel them to attack.

Aerion said that the energy that made them big and strong was responsible for this as well. Made me wonder about what effect it had on the psyche of the warriors who trained here, though she said there were no such effects on people.

We took a quick break by a brook, using the opportunity to wash our faces and hands off, and get a bit to sip. I opted to use the porcelain water jugs stored in my inventory rather than dip into the stream, though I doubted giardia was much of a problem here.

“I have to say, this has been a productive outing thus far,” Aerion said, looking at her haul. Three weasel pelts that lay in front of her. She’d skinned them after we took them out, and due to their size and softness, the pelts were actually quite valuable. 

Not to mention the boatload of stat gains. My Vigor and Grace had jumped another 2 to 26 and 15, respectively, and my Grace was at its current limit. Dominion was up 2 to 18 as well.

Meanwhile, Aerion’s Dominion had soared to 16, and my poleax’s [Skunky] was now at F - 4.

The gains were noticeable. I felt stronger, more resilient, and a bit lighter on my feet, to boot. It was a great feeling. One that I needed to experience more of.

“You get to keep those?” I asked.

“The Hunters Guild only requires proof of the kill,” she replied with a nod. “The trophies are mine to keep.”

“Sweet. I’ll chuck those into my inventory for safe keeping, but I don’t know if they’ll all fit in there. Not a ton of space.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I’d appreciate that.” Whatever reservations she’d had about having me store stuff were long gone, which made me happy.

What did not make me happy was that while I’d gained a lot from this outing just as Aerion had—my weapon levels had improved, as had my Vigor and Dominion—I was still at a loss as to how to get Passion and Wisdom to level up.

Mulling it over, I idly thumbed over to my Stats page… and did a double-take. My Cunning had gone up by two as expected, and my other stats all looked normal. Except for one.

My Passion had gone up by one.

When did that happen?

I thumbed through my notifications, and finally found it. It’d minimized so I hadn’t noticed it.

Congratulations! Passion has increased to 13.

“When the hell did that happen?” I muttered, wishing there was a timestamp next to the message. This was weird. I always monitored my stats and System Messages. If I’d missed it, it must have popped up minimized while I was busy.

“When did what happen?”

“Oh, it’s just one of my stats. It leveled up, for once, but I don’t know how.”

“Which one?” Aerion asked, dipping her toes into the cold stream and looking very happy to do so.

“Passion.”

“Well, then it must have happened when you were talking to me. Perhaps during that, um… argument… that we had?”

“That’s… an interesting point, but it couldn’t have happened then. I wasn’t wearing any gear that gave me in Passion. Maybe afterward, though?”

I’d suspected Passion worked like Charisma in games. Though that was usually trained by haggling and—

“Rogar. And possibly Philip. But I’m guessing Rogar. I didn’t exactly haggle with him, but I’ve been learning how to deal with the guy. I see… Aerion? You rock.”

I was definitely not in a good headspace when I’d had that argument with Rogar. No wonder it didn’t occur to me to check.

Aerion looked away, twiddling her toes. “Oh, er, thanks…”

“Alright, so physical strength training for Dominion. Endurance exercises for Vigor. Dextrous actions for Grace. Debates, haggling, and flexing my social muscle for Passion. And awareness for Cunning. That just leaves Wisdom and Order. Don’t suppose you know of any waterfalls nearby, do you?”

“Not really, though it’s likely we’ll find something if we follow this brook upstream. Why?”

“Oh, I just had what is probably a stupid idea. Still, if it’s not too much trouble, you mind if we try that? I bet you’ll find more weasels as we go, seeing how you’ve already found two here.”

Aerion shrugged. “Fine by me.”

— — 

It didn’t take long to find our next targets. The only problem was we rounded a bend in the brook to find about a dozen of them, all sipping water.

I grabbed Aerion’s wrist, mouthing ‘Retreat’ wordlessly. 

A good plan, but one that ultimately came too late.

“Change of plans. Aerion, Reave!”

Aerion hesitated, and I saw her recoil at the very thought.

“I have your back, Aerion,” I said calmly. “Trust me.”

Aerion nodded and forced herself to move. Her power activated, and, well… What ensued was quite predictable.

I’d seen how strong these weasels were. Together, we’d been able to take them down two-on-one without too much difficulty. They were on another level compared to goblins, but they weren’t anywhere near the Troll we’d fought together, or even the Hobgoblins we’d encountered on the sixth floor.

Which was to say, Aerion’s 16 points of Dominion added to the 60 that [Reave] gave her turned her into a whirlwind of devastation.

While her speed wasn’t any greater, she certainly looked faster as she plunged headfirst into the throng of Killer Weasels, who were all charging at her.

I’d always thought that phrase ‘A hot knife through butter’ was an exaggeration. When I saw how effortlessly Aerion eviscerated those overgrown weasels, that was the first thing that came to mind.

She made it look effortless. One moment, a horde of vicious critters had been about to devour her. The next, they were dead or dying, and the effects of [Reave] ended.

I knew enough to know that Aerion’s strength wasn’t all that impressive in an absolute sense. If she was hitting these sorts of numbers at F rank, I could only wonder what sorts of numbers she’d boast once we reached the higher ones. At this rate, we’d end up with thousands of points into each stat—a thought I could scarcely even comprehend right now.

Still, against enemies of this caliber—enemies who didn’t have much Vigor—those 60 points went far. Really far. 

Far enough, actually, to accomplish some pretty amazing gains.

Congratulations! [Nobleman’s Steel Shortsword]’s Ability [Venom Strike] has leveled up from to F - 4 to F - 6.

That wasn’t all. 

“Greg! My Blessing leveled up to Foundation - 7! And [Reave]! It leveled twice to Foundation - 7 as well! And, and my Dominion is now at 20!” Aerion cried in joy as she massaged her arm. Hardly unexpected, considering [Reave] pushed her muscles well past her normal limits.

I smiled at her excitement. It was a joy I knew well, after all. Seeing those abilities and stats go up was beyond fulfilling. Especially when they were earned. I was about to congratulate her when another message popped up, and this one really lightened my mood.

Congratulations! [Initializer] has leveled up to Emergence - 3. Max Essence Increased from 170 to 190. Essence Utilization: 163/190. Would you like to reclaim Initialized equipment?

I immediately opened up the Reclaim menu and scanned the list. I read it and reread it, and only then did I sigh in relief.

Aerion’s name was missing. She was no longer an ‘item’ I could reclaim. Sure, she still showed up in my list of Initialized beings, but I now knew that Cosmo had come through for me. While the System Message asking for confirmation had given me some confidence, I’d always intended to verify it firsthand.

“Greg? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Good news, actually. I leveled up as well!”

“Wait, how?” Aerion said, before understanding dawned. “Through me! That’s… Wonderful, Greg!” 

“Sure is,” I admitted, grinning.

I selected my jeans and de-Initialized them before the dialog disappeared. I wasn’t even wearing them, and the paltry 2 points of Vigor they gave just didn’t justify the 6 points of Essence they cost. After informing Aerion, I de-Initialized the one [Pet Rock] she had as well. It was probably back at the inn, somewhere, and it wasn’t like there was a shortage of rocks around. That got me all of one point, but call it my OCD. I didn’t want to waste even a single point.

“We should celebrate,” Aerion said. “I know of a great place in town. And with all of these pelts and my payout from the Hunter’s Guild, we’ll not want for coin for some time.”

I smiled. “Sounds like a plan. But first… About that waterfall.”

— — 

As Aerion had warned me, the waterfall wasn’t much of one at all. Just under six feet in height—shorter than me. 

“I still don’t understand why you need a waterfall,” Aerion said, her back turned as I undressed. “You can bathe at the inn, if that’s what you want.”

“It’s not like I need the waterfall,” I replied, removing everything but my [Fine-woven fabric hose], which granted me points to Wisdom, and my bandana, which gave me Order. “Consider it wish fulfillment. What self-respecting Champion doesn’t meditate under a waterfall?”

“Meditate? Is that what you’re planning on doing?” Aerion asked, finally turning around.

“That’s the plan,” I replied, edging closer to the falls. “Really hate how weak removing my gear makes me, though. Makes me feel almost naked.”

“Was that supposed to be a joke? You are almost naked.”

I stopped, and grinned sheepishly. “Wasn’t supposed to be, but now that you mention it…”

The elf rolled her eyes. “I’ll go see if I can’t take down one or two more of those weasels while you wet yourself.”

“Hey now!”

Aerion threw me a smirk and sauntered off.

I steeled my resolve, sat on a rock right under the waterfall, and closed my eyes.

— — 

My experiment lasted all of about thirty seconds. The movies all lied. There wasn’t anything peaceful or serene about sitting under an ice-cold waterfall. It was torture! Torture, dammit! And now, I was wet. Wet and shivering.

I stripped off my hose trousers and took a seat next to the river while they dried. This time, I fell into the Qi Gong meditation I’d learned years ago. They were slow, purposeful exercises that focused heavily on weight balance and breathing. 

I cleared away my thoughts, focusing on my breathing, and on the locus of energy that was said to sit in the pit of my stomach. I’d never really known if any of that was true, but the blood circulation the exercises always brought on made me feel good, at least. It was also just about the only ‘exercise’ I did, back on Earth. Or at least, past Greg had passed it off as exercise.

For the first time since entering this world, I sought that sense of inner peace this form of meditation always brought me. Here, with the warm sun fighting off the chill of the cold water that lingered on my skin, I was able to find it.

My thoughts vanished, and for a brief moment, all was right with the world.

Even with my eyes closed, I saw the notifications stream by. I didn’t let them bother me. I fell into Taiji, moving slowly through what little I knew of its forms. I knew I was butchering the moves, but they still seemed to have the intended effect, getting my blood flowing and my mind centered.

I honestly couldn’t say how much time passed. When I finished, I was bone dry… and Aerion was staring at me, holding her chin in thought.

“How long have you been there?” I asked, surprised I hadn’t heard her arrive. I opened the minimized notifications.

“Long enough to know that I’ve not seen anything like that before. What is it? That form.”

“It’s uh… A form of moving meditation from my world. Actually, it’s considered a martial art. Just that it’s focused on the self instead of the outside world.”

I opened the minimized notifications, and was not displeased with what I saw.

Congratulations! Wisdom has increased from 13 to 16.

Congratulations! [Nobleman’s Steel Shortsword]’s Ability [Venom Strike] has leveled up to F - 7.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a little smug at that moment. I now had a way to train Wisdom. Only question was—what did it do? That remained to be seen. I’d have to test out my abilities to see if there was any difference.

There was another set of notifications, though before I could check, Aerion replied.

“It’s fascinating,” she said. “You looked so graceful, even though you moved so slowly. Would, um. Would you teach it to me, sometime?”

“Happy to. Want me to show you some moves right now?”

Aerion’s eyes widened. “Can we? Oh, but you should probably put some clothes on, first.”

Only then did I notice that I’d been wearing nothing but my boxers. My white boxers with gold stars all over it.

“Ah.”

— — 

Our little session went off about as well as I could’ve hoped. Which was to say, horribly. I soon learned that I was a piss-poor teacher, and that Aerion had an incredible eye for learning through observation. Which made me learn to shut up and let her do her thing. As with all things, she was blazingly quick on the uptake. A couple more sessions and I was quite sure she’d be giving me tips on how to correct my form. 

Which was great—if it meant I could improve, I was all for it.

The sun was getting low in the sky by the time we finished, and we still had the hike back to Basecrest’s gates, but the trip back went a lot faster than the way out, for some reason. Maybe it was the conversation—Aerion had gotten a lot more talkative lately, and for the first time since our argument, I felt like things were finally getting back to normal again. 

Which was why I worked up the courage to bring up something I’d been wanting to talk about for a while.

“Say, Aerion… About [Reave]...”

“I know,” she replied without any pause, which threw me off.

“You… know?”

“It’s my greatest strength. And yet, I hesitate to use it. I worry about what would happen if I run out of Essence and collapse. If you hadn’t been there to carry me out of the woods, I’d have burned to death.”

“Except, I did,” I said. “Just like I’d have been here to watch your back if the same had happened. That’s why we’re part of a team, Aerion. We cover for each other. That lets us fight at our maximum potential.”

“That’s… True,” Aerion admitted, frowning as she bit her lip. “I just wish I was more comfortable with it.”

“And what better way to get comfortable than to practice?” I said.

“I can’t very well visit the forest every day,” Aerion countered.

“You won’t have to. If I’m right about how the ability works, you’ll be able to activate it anywhere, so long as nobody is actively attacking you. Just activate it before bed each night to prove that to yourself. We can test all the cases—like what happens if we spar together and you use it? Things like that. When you know how it behaves in every situation, and when you get familiar with how quickly it drains your Essence pool, there’ll be nothing to worry about.”

It was mostly true. There was always an element of unpredictability with Berserker-type abilities. Especially with Aerion being unable to fully control herself while in that state. But that was part of the value in training with it, too. Maybe she’d develop better control, and if not, she’d at least know exactly what to expect.

“I shall consider it,” Aerion said at last, staring at her feet. “And, um… Thanks.”

I gave her a wry smile. “After all we’ve been through in the Trial—after all those times we’ve saved each others’ backs—this is nothing, Aerion. We’re a team, aren’t we? It’s what teams do.”

“Not just for the advice. Or for helping me with the contract. I meant… Thanks… For Emma. For trying to save her. I don’t think I ever thanked you.”

“Don’t,” I said, grimacing. “In the end, I couldn’t help her.”

“No,” Aerion replied softly. “You did. She was happy to see me again, one last time. And, regardless of the outcome, you tried to help. Despite barely even knowing me. So, thank you.”

Aerion sniffled, and she tried to blink back her tears. She failed, and they trickled down her reddened face.

I didn’t know what to say to that. I couldn’t find the words. So instead, I just nodded, and the remainder of the walk back passed in silence. A comfortable, warm silence during which my eyes floated up to the sky. The sun had just fallen, and the sky was rapidly turning blue.

“Oh, huh. Meteor shower,” I said, pointing up to the sky. Every few seconds, a bright light would streak across the sky, disappearing almost instantly. 

Aerion followed my gaze, and stopped walking. “It’s… beautiful,” she said, eyes transfixed on the sky.

I stopped too. “Don’t tell me this is your first time?”

“It is,” she replied, her voice full of wonder. “They are somewhat rare here.”

“They’re somewhat common on my world,” I said. “Though, they’re rarely ever as visible as this. I dunno why, but seeing them here makes me happy.”

“I imagine it would,” Aerion said. “Seeing something familiar, I mean,” she hastily added, glancing at me before quickly looking away.

“Thanks,” I said, appreciating the gesture. “I think you’re right.”

It was only when we got back to the city gates that I remembered those unopened notifications from earlier.

I brought them up… and gawked.

Congratulations! Order has increased to 3.

…

...

Congratulations! Order has increased to 6.

“Uhh, what?”