Shake It Off triggered. Mental Manipulation resisted.
I look around, but don’t see anything. Rachel stops crying and smiles at me. “Well, at least I am going to stay alive. We have to look at the bright side.”
“I can still be sad, Rachel.”
“I know and you be sad, but I’m not sad anymore. I get to live and we can always get pregnant again.” The now dry eyes of my wife are disconcerting. I am still sad, but her frankness just shocked me into silence. “I leveled, you know. I bought an experience potion from the honor exchange and it was enough to level me. I’m sure you leveled too, what profession did you take?” She stands there waiting for me to answer, but I can’t find my voice. “I took Jeweler, I can make ornaments of great power, or so the description says. What I can really do is create some minor rings and one necklace. I’m sure more will open up later.” She waits another beat and then tilts her head. “So...”
“Runologist, I can create runes in items to grant them powers,” I whisper.
“Cool maybe put some runes on my blade or plasma gun.”
“Sure...” Rachel sure was okay now. I know it will take me longer to be okay.
Rachel and I walk back to our campsite and see that our space is still open. We talk about it and we feel like we are done for today. Especially with the roller coaster of the universal antidote. Rachel mentions that Jacob our Mana Lord changed the zone to aggressive when I was in the Whitespace. People can attack each other now and they get a bonus for it. Luckily for us the Iron Circle around the gate was still a non-aggression zone.
Some part of me was still sad at the loss of our child, but another part was happy at Rachel’s survival. We accomplished our goal. Rachel was cured, even if it did cost us. I give Rachel the Brooch of Absorption and she gives me the item she looted.
Everlasting Soap: This soap will use ambient mana to grow itself provided that at least 25% remains.
She smiles at me and says, “Not for nothing, but you stink.”
I stick the soap in my inventory, and finally smile. I will clean up later that evening.
Later comes faster than I would have wanted. I ended up taking a nap in my tent and Rachel spent the time practicing with her sword and cooking dinner. Tonight's dinner was macaroni and cheese. I eventually did take my Everlasting Water Bottle and Soap and clean myself up. The soap has a very pleasant scent, like a fresh rain. Being clean just feels refreshing. I sit down and I am about halfway through my bowl of mac and cheese when I see Kylie walking back to her camp.
“Hey Kylie!” I shout. I don’t know why, but at that moment I am feeling very friendly.
Kylie stares at us for a moment, takes a small step forward and then back. Then she grits her face and stalks over to our camp.
“Hi guys. What would you do if you had a problem you couldn’t deal with?” Kylie says sheepishly.
“I don’t know, shoot it I guess,” I chuckle at my own joke.
She smiles, “No really.”
“What kind of problem is it?”
“My friends were out exploring the city today and we ran into some people.”
Rachel leans forward, “What kind of people?”
“Some bad people. They are people like you, people with abilities. They managed to catch us by surprise and knocked out Jay before we knew what was happening.”
“Why didn’t they take you?” I asked.
“They did at first, but they tortured us and found out some information about Jay and sent me back here to get an item for them. They told me not to talk to anyone, but I don’t know what else to do. They can’t be allowed to get the item.”
“These people, did they violate you?” Rachel’s voice was stern and cold. Kylie starts to sob and falls down to the ground. Rachel stands up and picks up her blade. “Will, get up.” I look up at her, puzzled. “Kylie here is going to be nice enough to lead us to these people and then we will deal with the problem exactly like you suggested. You’re going to shoot them.”
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