World Keeper: Birth of a World

by Justin Miller

  With a startled expression, I nodded my head. “Right. It doesn’t take them very long to catch up whenever I raise the level cap, so I was wondering if it would be best to keep it low for a while. Right now, people at max level could already easily defeat a small group of trained soldiers from my world, assuming they had the same equipment.”

  However, contrary to my expectations, Terra shook her head. “That’s fine for now. They won’t be able to keep that level of growth for too long. Right now, they are simply discovering the mechanics of the world, and their levels come from their life experiences. When the level limit is raised to… let’s say three hundred, then they will have to struggle to reach it in one lifetime.”

  Tilting her head in thought, Terra crossed her arms in front of her chest as she continued. “Once the world hits an age equivalent to what your world had, the average level should be somewhere around two-eighty. And it is only that high because of the sheer number of classes each person has access to. For the truly strong that focus on just a few classes, it would be rare to exceed five hundred.”

  Thinking about that, it did make sense. Even if they were able to catch up to the level limit now, that was largely because it was still fairly low, and there were a lot of classes that they could accidentally train. Later on, there just wouldn’t be enough time in a single lifespan to do everything. But, that also made me think of something else.

  “What about people who train in the energies? I imagine that a ki cultivator of sufficient strength could prolong their life, couldn’t they?” When I asked that, Terra’s smile seemed to grow even more.

  “That’s right, Dale. But, there’s more to it than that. Actually, every combat class will eventually touch on the different energy types. That’s because there is a limit to how far skill can take you.” To emphasize her point, Terra gave an example. “For instance, imagine a level one thousand Archer who is unable to tap into ki, mana, or natural energy. They rely purely on their skills. Even if they have godly equipment, they would lose to a level five hundred monk. This is because the monk’s ki would simply let them move faster than any arrows fired by the bow. Their fists would hit harder, and the fight would be over before it began.”

  Taking a deep breath, she continued. “At a certain point, that archer will instead learn how to enhance their arrows with different energies. Their arrows will be able to track the monk, divide into hundreds, or even jump across great distances in an instant. That is the path of strength that your world is currently on, the path of energy growth.”

  I nodded my head slowly, accepting that. “What other paths are there…?”

  “I can’t go into too much detail, because it would violate the rules. But…” She began lifting up her fingers to give examples. “There is the path of technology growth, where a world ignores the energies and uses their own technology to become powerful. There is the path of magical growth, where the world ignores the other energies, and even often technology. The path of monsters would have someone breed the ultimate race of monsters. Finally, there is the path of gods, where a Keeper creates a race of godlike beings from birth on their world. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages.”

  I thought about that, and considered the different paths. It could be said that my Earth had been on the technology path, though the Keeper had never intended to enter the games in the first place. He probably chose that method because it had the longest amount of ‘safe’ time, then. The path of gods did interest me a bit, but I didn’t give it too much thought before I found the disadvantages. If they were gods from birth, their civilization would have practically no advancement time before entering the Games. They might not even be fully able to control their own power.

  “I see… Thanks, Terra. Would rather not have to limit things any more at this point if I could help it.” I smiled slightly. I knew that I could purchase systems that would guide the growth of the people, but I honestly did not want to do that. To me, the freedom for them to choose themselves was more important. Maybe after I had done this a couple times, I would begin guiding new worlds, but not for this one.

  “That’s fine.” She said, once again returning to her sleepy expression. “Now, if you don’t mind… I need to get back to my nap. It’s a bit harder than I expected to maintain two incarnations at once, even when they aren’t born yet.” As she said that, she turned around and crawled onto the bed, curling up into a ball on top of the blankets.

  Shaking my head with a small sigh, I decided to check on the world again. It would probably take a few months before the next confrontation, so at least that was something.

  * * *

  The nearby residents have recognized you as their rightful ruler. Please choose a name for your kingdom.

  When Shara saw the message appear in front of her, she had been truly surprised. She had never heard of this kingdom message before, and why would she have? Across the entire southern half of the halfling territory, this was the first time that a large group had come together to form a single community with a recognized leader. Knitting her brows together, she thought about what this would mean.

  Mother, please hear me. I wish to know, what does this mean? She closed her eyes in prayer after not being able to come to an answer on her own. She had never directly spoken to Aurivy before, and she was almost afraid that She would not answer her prayers. Especially after what Shara had done recently.

  However, her expectations were proven wrong, a look of excitement appearing on Shara’s face as a wise voice spoke into her mind. This is the first kingdom to ever rise up among these lands for my people. It shows that everyone here has chosen to follow you with their heart, and are willing to let you guide them down the path you deem correct.

  But, Mother, is my path truly correct? Shara could not help but ask. She had been worried over this ever since Danar had left them. Her path was one of violence, one where she would be shedding the blood of others to defend her people. A noble ideal, but did it not go against everything Aurivy stood for?

  A gentle laugh filled her mind as she was answered once again. Look into your heart and ask yourself that. I will not forsake you for your decision, for it was one you made when thinking of those you love. Shara lowered her head to consider those words, but before she could come up with an answer, she found her goddess speaking into her mind of her own choice. Ask yourself this, Shara. Do you love your people enough to live for them, to show them what it means to lead? And do you love them enough to die for them, if that is what it takes to keep them safe?

  Shara’s face was filled with astonishment, her eyes opening wide as she heard Aurivy’s words. Her goddess did not hate her, even though she had spilled first blood, even though she was leading others to end their journeys to prepare for a bloody violence with those strange creatures. From what Aurivy had said, it seemed as if she truly had been forgiven, and was even encouraged to follow her path.

  And in truth, following her path was exactly what Aurivy wanted. She did not approve of this war, or the misunderstanding that had caused it. She even held a bit of a grudge against the centaurs for being so violent, but she would not let that affect her view of Tryval. No, what she approved of here was how one of her people was willing to put aside everything, to travel down a lonely road for the sake of her people.

  She wanted Shara to become an example, to become a legend among the halflings. The one who stood up to impossible odds to be the shield that would defend them from harm. The one that rallied the people for a common goal, leading them to new heights.

  Aurivy knew that Shara’s kingdom was doomed to be short lived. But, the candle that burns brightest is always the first one out. Rather than make Shara conflicted about her choice, make her hesitate when the time comes, she chose to make her burn even brighter. Deep down, she wanted Shara to become the flame that would light a new path for the halflings, a path where they worked together in harmony, as opposed to the scattered union that they currently held.

  And
her encouragement did exactly that. With her eyes watering, Shara chose the name for her kingdom. A name that would take its place in history for every halfling to remember.

  Kingdom of Savir Management Window

  F̶̶҉́i҉͠͞҉n҉̷͠͠a̛͞n̷҉̕c̸̡҉ȩ̷͟͟s͏̷͜͢

  N/A

  Military Security

  7

  Art

  1

  Religion

  4

  Science

  3

  Magic

  2

  Population

  412

  Territory

  1 Rest

  ⚊Appoint Official⚊

  ⚊Issue Decree⚊

  ⚊Declare War⚊

  Chapter 75

  After the founding of Savir, the first halfling kingdom, the situation was fairly casual for a while. The halflings did not see any signs of the strange creatures approaching their borders, aside from a few random herds that their scouts spotted passing by. None of them even seemed remotely interested in invading the forest.

  Shara, still filled with confidence after having spoken with her goddess, personally joined the scouting forces every day. She had received Her blessing, and would see this through to the end. Because that was her decision, that she loved her people enough to live and die for them. She was just curious when it seemed like none of the strange creatures would arrive even after a month of waiting.

  At least, that’s how it looked to them. Some distance away, beyond the horizon, the centaurs were marching. Unlike the wild herds, or the patrolling forces, these had to move at a slow trot due to their numbers. This was the largest force that the centaurs had ever fielded at one point, a full five thousand man cavalry.

  It had taken nearly a month to gather the soldiers and equip them, but now each one carried a bow and a spear. Their chests were covered with thick leather armor. And leading the charge were the Knights of Valor, Justice, and Leadership.

  Due to their slowed pace, and the fact that it took them a month to fully equip everyone, it was expected that it would take them an extra two months before they reached the tall woods. Of course, this took into consideration the tens of centaurs that were constantly running back and forth from Tryval’s Hold and King’s Hope to make supply runs. Otherwise, they would surely starve long before they arrived at the tall woods.

  * * *

  Well, this is going to end poorly. I thought as I looked at the map. Before, the halflings had managed to dominate the herds by outnumbering them twenty to one. Now, the centaurs were coming in towards the forest outnumbering them ten to one. The result of this battle… well, it wasn’t like I really had to think too hard about it.

  Shaking my head, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. The world was too early for the halflings to have the proper fortifications to fight off an invasion of greater numbers without using magic to build their city like the centaurs seemed to do for King’s Hope. On the other hand, halflings also seemed to be quite a bit weaker in defensive battles than they were attacking. Most of their abilities tended towards either stealth or controlling other creatures.

  I was rather curious how the battle would actually play out, though, since the centaurs have no experience fighting in a forest. On the other hand, the halflings are always adjusting to new terrain. I furrowed my brows as I thought about that, but still determined that the numbers advantage wouldn’t be overcome that easily.

  Guess we better just see how this goes. I thought, before deciding to fast forward again to the next battle. There was no use in simply sitting there thinking about the fight, and nothing I could do to change the outcome without direct intervention.

  * * *

  Shara stood alone atop the highest tree on the border for her kingdom. It had been a full season since Savir had been established. The leaves were already changing, the air growing colder. Since they had been waiting for so long, with no signs of an attack coming, their scouts had relaxed. Some started to believe that they were not needed, that the creatures would never leave their plains.

  As such, even though more people had come to join the kingdom named to honor her father, very little had actually happened. At most, the original members of the Bloodied Hand would train the newcomers in various techniques that they learned through their classes. Only Shara continued to keep watch every day, feeling that things had not quite ended yet for her.

  And sure enough, as the clouds gathered overhead, the sky darkening with an impending storm, Shara saw something in the distance. At first, she wasn’t sure what it was because it was too far away, but once she activated her Scout abilities, that changed.

  So many… Shara could see a line of creatures looming just over the horizon. Most of them looked like those that they were waiting for, while some showed subtle differences. Some had wings on either side of their animalistic bodies, while others had a single horn atop their heads.

  She had simply never seen so many living beings in one place, and trying to count them was impossible. With their slow, even pace, it reminded her about how they had moved when invading the plains. They were not trying to hide, though, and instead just making sure that they moved at a pace where none would fall behind.

  “Oh no…” She muttered under her breath, knowing that there were far, far more of them than they could handle. Closing her eyes, she leaned backwards off the branch, allowing herself to enter free-fall towards the ground. Her body twisted, hands and feet gently striking branches to maneuver her through the air until she was only ten meters up.

  Then, reaching her hand out, she grabbed onto a loose vine, dislodging one end of it from its tree. With that, she borrowed the vine to safely swing onto the ground, landing heavily in front of the Rest. “Emergency!” She shouted, gathering the attention of those who had been relaxing or training within the wooden structures.

  One by one, halflings began to emerge, startled by Shara’s sudden cry. When they saw her worried expression, they couldn’t help but become affected by her anxiety. And it only grew worse when she spoke. “They’re coming. Numbers beyond measure. If the weather does not stop them, they will arrive within one day.”

  There were gasps from among the crowd, some believing her while others sent off their own flying companions to confirm the situations for themselves. Seeing that, Shara calmly nodded her head. “This is what we’ve been waiting for. I would ask that someone sends a message for us.” Her hands balled up into fists as she lowered her head, trying to find the words to motivate them.

  When she spoke, a strange presence rose up from her. As she repeated the words that her goddess had told her, some felt as if Aurivy herself had descended. “Do you love your people enough to live for them? Do you love them enough to die for them? Aurivy asked me this question when we formed this kingdom, and I will ask you now.”

  “My answer, I love my people, more than I can ever express.” As she spoke, Shara brought her hands up above her chest, holding them together. “If my death serves to defend them for even a day, to let them know what is coming, then I will happily fight. I will not blame anyone for leaving, but I will stay. I will fight, I will earn them time. And… I will die.”

  Her eyes grey red, tearing up as she spoke. She was not sad over knowing what was going to happen. Rather, she was thankful. Her father was the most important person in the world to her, and he had been taken away. Seeking her own death would have been an insult to his memory, yet she had so much wanted to see him again. Now, her goddess was offering her the chance to do just that, to help protect her people and see her father again.

  “I will not lie to anyone here. If you stay, you will probably die in this battle. There are just too many of them. But for every one we take with us, for every moment we delay them, we can save more of our people. So, I ask of you now. Who will join me? Who will be my brother in this battle?” Her voice grew to nearly a shout as she finished talking, the birds that were sent off before already coming back and transmitting the informati
on to their partners.

  The small gasps that could be heard from those who had a more clear view of the situation only seemed to confirm Shara’s words. There was no hope of winning this battle. Fear began to swell up inside many of the halflings, as most were unwilling to throw their lives away so easily in a fight they knew that they couldn’t win.

  Some began backing away, showing that they could not participate here, that they wanted to return to their families. Yet, every member of the original Bloodied Hand instead stepped forward. Their hands heavily slapped against their chests one after another. Shara was saddened to see those who wished to leave, but overjoyed when she saw her companions stepping forward.

  “For our families.” One of the Bloodied Hand members shouted out, before more joined in. Each one shouted a different reason to fight.

  “For our friends.”

  “For our people.”

  “For our hopes.”

  “For those who came before.”

  “For those who will come after.”

  And then, all at once, as if they had rehearsed it beforehand, they shouted in unison. “We will fight!” Seeing that, Shara’s couldn’t stop her tears from falling. She too slapped her own chest as she looked out at them. The chorus of the Bloodied Hand served to call several of the retreating halflings to stop in their steps.

  Some returned to the group, gently placing their palm against their chest. To them, this salute meant something different. It was not a reminder of the blood that had been spilled, or the mark which had started this all. No, it was a reminder of what they were protecting, those that they held dear.

  Seeing that, Shara nodded, and then addressed those that were still walking away. “Tell the Rest… let them know what happened. Let them know how we died.” That was the last thing she said to them as they left the Rest, taking a deep breath to calm herself.