Chapter 83 - You Know His Name (Patreon)

“Hello, Father. Please forgive me. I asked you to trust me, then immediately broke your trust… I have failed you,” Daughter spoke before he got the chance, her voice hollow, tired, and empty.

“You say that, but did you have a choice? Could you have warned me or were you bound by the edicts?”

“I-I could have told you it would be dangerous,” The ever-present stars that formed her body began to swirl with the first signs of life.

In his mind's eye, she stood with her hands clasped behind her back. Chin raised and eyes closed, she awaited his judgment.

“So, no. You couldn’t have warned me. I already knew it would be dangerous, you telling me that wouldn't have meant anything. I would have ignored you and gone anyway,” Jiran released a sigh, and with it, any last vestiges of anger he once felt toward her.

“This isn’t your fault. I panicked when my mana was suddenly drained and I took it out on you. After everything I’ve learned about controlling my thoughts and emotions, I instantly failed when it was most important. I’m sorry, Daughter. I’ll do better. And there’s no reason for you to ask forgiveness, I know you were only doing your duty as part of the system.”

Her face jerked like he slapped her and then she spoke in a rush.

“I am bound by Madra but I am no more a part of her than you are!”

“How were you there at the node then and how did it take your form?” Jiran asked openly without malice or incrimination.

“The same way you were. I walked there, in a manner of speaking. The node borrowed my form from your own memories to ease your concerns. That had nothing to do with me.”

“Oh, wow. I really misunderstood everything.” Jiran sighed again, feeling overwhelmed by his own foolishness. “I should have talked to you days ago.”

“Please, do not be hard on yourself, Father. Your journey has not been an easy one. You are learning, I can clearly see the challenger density is having very little effect on you this tier. You are stronger, building support, and relying on others. You wish to right your wrongs, to grow. Failure is but the first step toward success.”

“You’re starting to sound more like a big sister than a daughter, you know? Thanks. It’s hard to see it that way without any tangible results. But yeah, I’m doing my best. Speaking of results, how is Madra? Did turning on the node help?"

"Her voice is still very weak. I have no way to know how much help a single node has brought her."

“So no change, that definitely supports the many nodes theory,” Jiran grumbled before falling silent.

Daughter only gave him a second before interrupting his thoughts.

“I do not have long and there are things you must know. Niya will need your help soon so it is good you have chosen to ascend. Gaining more power will increase your chances of assisting her safely,” Jiran’s head snapped up as thoughts of his own issues flew from his mind.

“Niya’s in trouble? Where is she?”

“She is not yet in danger. You have time to complete your tiering if you continue at your current pace.”

“Does that mean you don’t think I’ll be put to sleep for another year?”

“I do not see that as a possibility. Madra’s mana is already in your soul and she would not wish to wait another year for your assistance. I would expect your next ascension to take the usual twelve hours. Now, my mana wanes and you have yet to ask the question you summoned me to ask.”

Jiran released his held breath, the unconscious tightening of his hands released, leaving his fingers stiff.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I did forget. Is there some kind of dangerous restriction on some technologies and information?”

Daughter remained silent, blinking at him slowly while widening her eyes between each blink.

Has she ever blinked before? I swear she’s acting way more like a person than she used to.

A small smile played across her lips when she noticed his brows furrowing in thought.

Has she ever smiled before either? Focus, Jiran! She can’t respond because of the edicts. Okay, then I need to ask in a way that she can easily answer.

“Is it safe for me to teach Mayalyn?”

“I doubt Madra would wish to antagonize you by placing your mate in unnecessary danger. While I can make no guarantees, it should be safe to teach Mayalyn so long as you continue to hold the upper hand in your negotiations with her. There is one last thing before I go. Another entity has been tracking you,” Daughter’s voice and figure began to fade.

“What?! Is it whoever shut off the nodes? Do you know who shut off the nodes? Crap, I have so many more questions I need to ask!”

“I cannot. Tomorrow,” Then she was gone as the skill drained the last of his mana.

Revelation: + 1

“Shit!”

Jiran converted the last of his breakfast to mana and fed it to Daughter but she failed to reappear. She had never appeared twice in the same day before so he had to assume it was some kind of restriction on the skill.

[New quest acquired!]

[You know his name: Complete the tier three challenger series and expand the teleportation grid]

I know his name? The one shutting off the nodes? How could I possibly know someone that powerful? That makes no sense at all! Expand the teleportation grid? So you’re going to send me to another one of those domes and it will give me access to another node? And Niya’s in trouble. And there’s some entity tracking me. What a freaking mess.

I need to talk to Mayalyn.

Jiran flew back to their camp and tore off a piece of the freshly cooked beast meat before he joined Mayalyn on their log facing the river. He relayed every detail about his conversation while they ate.

After listening attentively, she thought for a few seconds before responding. “We do not need to resolve any of these issues immediately, other than the threat of being tracked.”

“Agreed. Niya’s not in trouble yet. If I continue at this pace I’ll be ready for the arena in less than a week. Hmm, we should consider advancing a little faster just in case something comes up that delays me.”

“That would be prudent. I also believe we should move our camp every few days to avoid this tracker. With how quickly we can travel, there is no reason for us to remain in one place for long.” Mayalyn added between bites of meat.

“Good idea, we can move to another part of the empire or stay around the outside of the Outlands pretty easily. Any input on the quest? I've already decided to tier up and I’m going to need the teleportation grid to get back here afterward. Why does the system keep giving me quests for things that I already plan to do?”

“I am certainly more amenable to performing a task when I know there is a reward waiting for me. Perhaps this is just her way of compensating you for your hard work? Regardless, it is good you plan to continue to focus on ascending. What about after that?”

“Well obviously, I’ll go to Niya. There’s no way I’m going to ignore her being in danger.”

“That is not what I meant and you know it,” Mayalyn rolled her eyes and poked him in the side with a finger covered in beast fat.

“I know you want me to turn the nodes back on but it’s too dangerous to go up against whoever can shut them down. The quest said I know their name. Maybe it’s one of the emperors?” Jiran’s voice turned to a whisper. “I saw one of them once, you know. It was like looking at a god. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t even blink.”

Mayalyn hopped to her feet and she began to pace before him. Her tail whipped back and forth every time she turned, nearly smacking him in the face. When he saw her claws extend, he knew she was about to snap at him. The low growl that leaked from her throat was the last warning he needed before his hands shot up to pat the air and he spoke in a rush.

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t do it. I’m not going to go rushing in again though. I’ll scout, make sure each node is unguarded and uninhabited before turning them on. I won't go alone either, I… Don’t make the best decisions when I’m alone. And I’ll keep ascending. I’m not even powerful enough to run away from an emperor right now. But that will change,” Jiran squeezed his fist until his whole arm shook.

Mayalyn’s anger had evaporated long before he finished his rant.

“Finally, you speak sense. Madra is our mother. She has asked for your help, so you should give it freely. And yes, fighting this emperor head-on would be foolish. If there are as many nodes as you think, then it is not possible for him to protect them all at once. We will strike when he is not looking.”

Jiran nodded along with each point she made.

“Sorry, for being stubborn there. I don’t like being told what to do by someone I haven’t made an agreement with to be my teacher.”

“We are on the right path now, we should focus on improving our chances at every opportunity, not dwelling on a past we cannot change. Now, are you finally ready to show me how to shoot lightning or are you going to keep being a tease?”

Jiran smiled around his mouthful of lunch as he easily matched the intensity of her gaze.

. . .

They stood in a field close to camp with their eyes closed as they looked over Mayalyn’s status. After days of practice, she had finally figured out how to share it via the party system. As Jiran carefully examined every detail, a spike of excitement spread through his body and goosebumps prickled his arms.

NAME   Mayalyn Aloyhee

RACE   The People

AGE   17

WEIGHT  561.92 kg

STATUS  Healthy

TIER   3

CORE   Insubstantial - Rank 7

EXP   0/100

GROWTH  75.85%

MANA   3.68 (8% reserved)

CONCENTRATION 4

STRENGTH  62.1

AGILITY  68.8

ENDURANCE  61.9

DURABILITY  79.6

WISDOM  75.4

INTELLIGENCE 76.3

SKILLS

Circulating lvl 46

Enhancing - Lightning 8%

Obfuscating lvl 9

Ancestral Traits

Ears 123%

Tail 141%

Claws 312%

Tongue 119%

Eyes 118%

She’s so different. This is freaking amazing!

“Explain the enhancing skill to me one more time. And not that stupid description your status gives. Use your own words.”

Mayalyn tapped her chin for several seconds before responding.

“When I touch an element, be it a rock, the water, or air, I can choose to take its essence into myself and become closer to it. Once it is within me, I gain benefits depending on the element. If I absorbed stone for instance; My skin would become tough but my movement would slow.

“Many of the People use lightning as their element. It is hard to acquire but It grants us speed, resistance to the great storms, and allows us to interact with the Maker’s artifacts,” Mayalyn’s head drooped and her jaw clenched at the reminder of all that was left behind.

Jiran hastily moved to his next question.

“What about the elements that appear naturally inside of you, can you choose to absorb those too?”

“Yes, but they would be very weak. The stronger the source, the stronger the result.”

“When you absorb an element, how long does it last?”

“Until the power is used.”

“What does the ‘Lightning 8%’ represent exactly?”

“The Maker theorized that is the percentage of our body that has been converted to the element. I can feel the lightning I absorbed last season. It hides within my muscles, waiting to be released.”

“What would happen if that reached one hundred percent?”

Mayalyn released a bark of laughter at his ridiculous question.

“That is impossible because the percentage we can absorb is capped at our circulating skill level. Though now that my skill is so high, maybe it is not so laughable.”

Mayalyn hummed as she tapped on her lip.

Hmm, I am quite sure I would die. Would I not become a bolt of lightning?” She responded with a giggle before continuing. “Besides, the skill reserves an equal percent of my maximum mana to hold the element. My core requires mana to function. If I were to reserve one-hundred percent of my mana, my core would cease pumping blood.”

“Okay, one-hundred percent bad, got it.”

“This should not be an issue, I have never heard of someone reaching more than twenty-five percent absorption. Where would you find a bolt of lightning powerful enough to charge someone completely?”

“I’ll remind you of that in a few minutes,” Jiran said with a wicked grin. “The first thing we should figure out is how knowledge affects the process, go ahead and purge your eight percent lightning so we can start with a fresh slate.”

Mayalyn nodded and placed her hand on the nearby tree trunk. An arc of electricity jumped between her spread fingers before sinking harmlessly into the tree’s insulating wood. She rubbed her hands across her arms rapidly as if uncomfortable without the energy residing inside her.

“Ready?” When she nodded, Jiran poked her in the side with a Shaping containing one percent of his mana in an electric charge.

She jumped into the air and spun to face him with a scowl.

“Do not poke me when you do it! Whoever taught you manners failed miserably in their task.”

Jiran snickered while raising an eyebrow at her.

“Five percent,” She grumbled.

Hmm, so twenty-five percent of my mana would kill her even if she used her skill to absorb it while having one hundred levels in circulating. That’s a terrifying thought. Never mind, I’m pretty sure it would take a lot less than that to kill myself if my technique backfired. As far as taking a hit from a single element, she’s a lot more durable than I am.

“Do not gaze off into the distance like some love-drunk fool while pondering my own skill. What is the point of this if you are only going to speak in your head? Out with it!”

Jiran doubled over laughing at her overblown reaction to how silly he must have looked. She glared at him with her fists on her hips until he recovered. After wiping a tear from his eye he paused with a deep breath before finally responding.

“I was just surprised at how one percent of my mana charged your skill to five percent.”

“One? Truly? That does not seem correct. We are both tier three, should it not be more equivalent? Even if we account for your higher concentration and mana, the math does not align.”

“I have a feeling things are about to get a whole lot more ridiculous. So you said you don’t know what molecules or particles are. What about atoms, free electrons, and protons, ever heard of those?”