He did at least finally understand how to unlock them, or at least how they could be unlocked. He'd found the exquisite deep stone essence in the bowels of the mines, which had triggered that path to unlock. Terran imagined that the other two required similar finds, though not knowing how long it would take to discover them made his decision more difficult. Gaining powers right now was quite attractive, especially when they both sounded intriguing. The ability to travel to distant locations was powerful. The only problem was he didn't know what kind of limitations it imposed.
The Earthblood was also interesting. While the nature of "more power" was left undefined, any increase in stats or abilities would make him more effective overall, and the rot problem made waiting to find the other paths less inviting. He was running against a clock, and increasing his power would help immensely.
Terran sighed as his hand hovered over the Georealm path, eventually pulling it away. He didn't need to decide just yet. If things got tough, he might change his mind, but for now, he could delay the decision until he had more information, so he turned his attention back to his ability points. He'd been putting them in Endurance and Charisma for a while now. Charisma was a must since his Crystal Bard abilities were tied to it. While he enjoyed his Earthen Mage abilities, the voice-based ones seemed more powerful, especially as he unlocked more crystals to use in his repertoire. On the other hand, maximizing abilities was the best way to be effective. A jack-of-all-trades would mean the tougher encounters would be out of reach. He hadn't spent a ton of time analyzing the mechanics that underpinned this world, but higher-level creatures meant less damage got through. He really needed to keep his abilities high so he could stay effective. Reluctantly, he chose Endurance and Charisma again, knowing that he might have to drop a few points into Intelligence in the future, but since he hadn't yet run out of mana during a fight, he could continue to push his current abilities.
Character: Terran
Level: 14
Class: Earthen Mage
Crystal Bard
Subrace: Rock Leaf Elf
Champion of the Mother Tree
HP: 420
Mana: 380
Sta: 750
Strength: 5
Intelligence: 11
Endurance: 18
Cunning: 4
Agility: 4
Charisma: 11
With that decided, Terran settled into his hammock, prepared to catch a few moments of shut-eye. He hovered on the edge of consciousness for an unknown time until Jondar ascended into his hut. The jovial bard had dark stains on the sleeves of his robes.
"Welcome back, Terran. I'm sorry I missed your earlier return to the conservatory," said Jondar.
"Get in a fight with a jar of jam?" asked Terran.
Jondar chuckled, his belly shaking. "I've been scheming with Elsie on some new brews. This latest batch was blackberry based."
Terran gestured towards Jondar's neck, where two sets of scratches were parallel. "Just scheming about ale?"
The rotund elf spread his lips in a wide smile. "We have a lot of things to, uhm, talk about."
Jondar was well loved around the Glen, for many reasons.
"Is this visit merely social?" asked Terran, gripping the sides of the hammock.
"I'm sorry to interrupt what looks like a nice nap," said Jondar, gesturing towards the hammock. "But the crystal is ready to harvest now."
Terran blinked. Time had gotten away from him. He'd spent much longer cleaning his gear and worrying over his stats and Champion's Path than he'd first thought, leaving him to exhale and run his hand through his hair.
"Lead on, my friend, lead on."
In the canopy of the Mother Tree, Terran had an audience of three for the crystal harvesting. The two bards and his friend Newt, who was wide-eyed with interest, stayed on the wooden bridge that went around the upper portion of the tree, while Terran climbed onto the main trunk, near the location of the pulpy tree flesh.
"You have practiced the song?" asked Zoras.
"It's very similar to the green crystal," said Terran. "I remember it well."
He closed his eyes, picturing the song in his head before he opened his mouth. The azure crystal song had been like a drifting breeze, while the green and emerald were ethereal, almost like the playing of chimes, less melody and more mood. It was difficult to get started, as the miles of travel still on his bones made the effort like lifting a boulder with his mind. But as the song flowed from his lips, his exhaustion faded. The Crystal Bard drew strength from the trees and earth, and being cradled in the boughs of the Mother Tree brought a wave of euphoria. Before long, he'd lost himself to the song, drifting on the notes, the ebbs and flows, like ocean waves hitting the shore and washing back into the endless blue-green depths.
Terran became the song and the song became him. He could have sung forever, but the crystal in the pulpy node reflected back to him, signaling its time for harvest. He pulled his razor-sharp blade out as he hit a D flat, feeling the reverberation hit him in the breastbone. The edge revealed the emerald crystal beneath, a shiny blob of dark green crystal, which he snapped off at the base when it was cleaned of plant material. The solemn procession to the conservatory, all while keeping up his note with cycling breaths, lasted until he'd fixed the unformed crystal in the two clamps.
When he exhaled, Terran nearly passed out. Not from exhaustion, but the sudden descending emotional slide.
Zoras's eyes rounded. "You are attuned to the emerald as well. Three types of crystal, and you've only barely scratched the surface of your abilities."
Terran would have felt a welling of pride, but his work wasn't done and he wanted to stay focused on the task. He brought forth the reflecting note, which the crystal embraced, hitting him in the chest. He set the chisel against the crown of the emerald lump and struck it with the hammer, shearing away a slice of material, which fell into a bucket. Terran worked the crystal in a clockwise manner, sidestepping around the table as he cleaned away the outer crystal into eight facets. Then he struck the end of the crystal at an angle, forming a four-sided point, before angling the chisel upward and performing the same trick on the upper portion.
As soon as the last chip fell away, the emerald crystal woke, responding back to him in a note that filled his mind. Terran was transfixed by the reverberation, extending his note in a single breath that went on forever. He was the crystal and the crystal was him.
[You have increased the skill Crystal Harvesting]
Skill: Crystal Harvesting 3 (CHA)
[You have increased the skill Crystal Harvesting]
Skill: Crystal Harvesting 4 (CHA)
When at last he could not hold it any longer, he let the note fall, leaving him trembling with exhaustion. Both Zoras and Jondar stared at him with gaping jaws.
The head of the conservatory reached towards the crystal reverently as if it were a sleeping baby. There was wetness at the corners of his eyes.
"A treasure," said Zoras.
After wiping the sweat from his brow, Terran examined his creation. With a shaking hand, he touched the crystal. A weird shock, not unpleasant, went through him as if he'd been filled with the crystal's energy.
You have gained a superior emerald crystal
"Well done, Terran," said Zoras, his face rippling with thought. "A superior. While not an exquisite, that itself was a surprise last time. Still, two high-quality crystals within the early years of your growth is impressive. You'll be a legend yet."
The effluent praise from the stoic Zoras left Terran a little disconcerted. He didn't know how to respond except lift his shoulders, but the tiny effort only reinforced the crystal-induced exhaustion. Newt caught him before he collapsed to the floor.
Zoras pointed out of the conservatory. "Food and drink, as much as you can fit in your belly. We'll work on the divination device while you're resting."
"I'll take him," said Newt, maneuvering his shoulder beneath Terran's armpit and helping him to stumble from the r
oom.
In the kitchens, once plates and bowls had been situated around him in a delicious arc, Terran started shoving food into his mouth as if he'd never really eaten before. Newt watched him silently, looking like he had something to say.
With a hunk of bread half-hanging out of his mouth, Terran mumbled, "Yesth?"
"You've built quite a little home here," said a bright-eyed Newt.
Terran shoved the remaining bread in his mouth, chewing and swallowing before finally comprehending his friend's comment. He nodded.
"It's your home too," said Terran as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
"Of course," said Newt, looking away. "You asked me to investigate Grimchar the Necrochanter."
"Did you learn anything?" asked Terran.
Newt stared at the table. His thoughts weighed heavily on him. "The tomes that the Lore Keeper had in the library, they told me much of the history of these lands. It is clear that this is a recycled world, reused many times... many, many times before."
The emphasis on a long history perked Terran up. He managed to put the spoon down. "Do you know why?"
"I have theories," said Newt, mouth twitching with thought. "Nothing concrete since I cannot test them against reality. But I believe our former home, the Reliant, has been traveling through the stars longer than originally planned. These histories, unless they are fabricated to create this illusion, suggest that we Offworlders have entered this specific world dozens upon dozens of times."
A sinking feeling formed in Terran's gut. He hated thinking about that previous life, the one on the ship that he'd hated so much, but that world held clues for this one.
"That would mean that the Reliant has been travelling for many centuries, rather than the two hundred and thirty years originally planned. I always felt unlucky to be born between, but maybe we're not the only ones," said Terran.
"There are lots of us, I'm afraid. Based on the idea that we are born, grow old enough to contribute genetic material to the next generation, and then begin our long sleeps inside these games, those calculations are disturbingly large. My hypothesis is that they lacked the computing power to continually create new worlds, so they shunted us into the old ones. Since they are on the outside, and there is no reliable way to communicate inside the game, they might never know that some beings have found a way to continue their existence longer than humanly possible."
His exhaustion was bone deep, but Newt's insinuation brought him back to a spine-tingling alertness. Newt nodded slowly.
"You see what I'm suggesting," he said. "There are names that keep recurring through the histories, sometimes slightly different, but there is always a thread that connects them. Based on what they've accomplished in the game, I can only conclude that they are players, like us. Offworlders."
Terran put his hand to his forehead. "It makes sense. It's only supposed to be us Offworlders that have the agency to change the world. Grimchar showed far too much initiative to be a construct of the game. But how? We were given tours of the recycling farms. Eventually people die, and their minds disappear from the game."
Newt blinked. "I don't understand, but maybe we can find out more when we seek out this Grimchar. You said he sucked at your life force and talked of immortality. The AIs that run these worlds are improvisational, and our minds are fully represented in this world, albeit tied to a hallucinating meat bag in our skulls, but maybe it's possible to copy our minds, live in this world much longer."
"Wouldn't that take processing power?" asked Terran.
Newt wrinkled his face and looked away for a moment, before turning back with a nod. "That could be what he was doing when he was sucking out your life force. Stealing your processing power. Or when he was using the black crystals to do the same with the essence from the Mother Tree."
Both of them realized it at the same time. "Oh," they said simultaneously.
"The Mother Tree was an Offworlder," said Terran breathlessly. "She was one of us."
"We can ascend to become gods," said Newt. "That's probably what Grimchar is trying to do."
"This makes the attack on the newbie area clearer and our task more dire," said Terran. "We need to find Grimchar, though I worry we won't be enough to take him on."
"On that note," said Newt, with a twitch of a grin at a private joke, "my readings suggest that Grimchar lives in an invisible tower in the Silent Plains."
Mention of that place gave Terran the shivers. "That's not good. How do we find an invisible tower?"
"It is made of glass, enchanted to deflect sight around it. I theorize it is possible that you could use your voice to locate it," said Newt.
"The Silent Plains are silent for a reason. Everything there dies. We can't wander around while I sing random notes in hopes of finding an invisible tower made of glass," said Terran.
"I concur," said Newt, clasping his hands before him. "There are books I think might give us more clues to its location, but Zoras's meager library does not have them. We need to go to a bigger city to see if they might have them."
"The nearest are Salt Luck and Dagrath," said Terran.
"We could start with those," said Newt.
You have been offered a quest: Find the tome that leads you to the ghost tower
Reward: Experience and a certain path to doom.
"Did you get that?" asked Terran.
"I already had that quest," said Newt.
An urgent exhaustion returned, and Terran's head became a hundred-pound boulder. "I... need... sleep."
Newt collected him from the seat, shifting his shoulder underneath his, and together they stumbled back to Terran's quarters. He didn't remember climbing into his hammock, and his dreams were filled with him wandering around the Silent Plains, flesh burning away as he searched for a tower that refused to be found.
Chapter Eighteen
The crystalline conservatory wasn't large enough to hold everyone in attendance comfortably for the divination, but that's where Newt and Zoras had built the device, so they packed into the ornate room. Zara took up the largest space, especially because the Rock Leaf Elves in attendance gave her a wide berth. Terran positioned Flynn far away from the device, not wanting any mishaps, while Petram stood behind the desk.
The device itself was simple enough: the emerald crystal set into a brass-and-silver catch. There were etchings in the brass, too small for Terran to read.
"As you know, this is a one-time use," said Zoras. "While the Mother Tree could grow another crystal, it will take some time, so make this one count."
"You're always such a pick-me-up," said Terran, cocking a grin at the Lore Keeper, whose nose wrinkled with confusion. "Anything else?"
"The more you know a subject, the easier it is to find them. That is why you were able to locate your friends for your original divination, when using the portal. Because you're searching for someone you don't know, not even a name, just an occupation, it's possible that this divination won't work. It's why it requires an emerald crystal rather than the simple green," said Zoras.
The many eyes on him brought a tickle of worry, but he'd grown more used to leading and singing in public, so he was able to push away their presence as he focused on the crystal. Terran opened his mouth and let a D flat pop out of his mouth like a bubble. The emerald crystal reflected his note, filling the room with an eerie vibration. Keeping the idea of an arborist firmly in his mind, Terran placed his fingertip on the vibrating crystal.
The effect was immediate. His mind was flying over the top of the autumnal trees, the rush giving him vertigo. But he did not head in a straight direction—the world whirled around him as it searched. Terran doubled his thoughts, refocusing on the arborist. The view shifted again, heading in what seemed like a downward slope towards the ocean.
The town grew in his mind's eye: nestled in the bay, ship sails dotting the harbor, birds circling above. He could almost smell the salt, feel the kiss of humid sea air on his face. Before he impacted with the town, the vision d
issipated, leaving him staggering in the conservatory, many eyes patiently waiting for his proclamation. As he pulled his finger away, the crystal crumbled into dust.
"Don't keep us waiting, buddy," said Flynn. "Skully doesn't like drawn-out anticipation. Gives her constipation."
"Salt Luck," said Terran. "The arborist is in Salt Luck."
"Did you see him or her? Get a name?" asked Petram.
Terran shook his head. "Only a view of the town."
"We're lucky the arborist is near enough," said Petram. "Had they been on any other continent…"
"Yes," said Terran. "This will be good. We have other tasks in Salt Luck." It would have been preferable that the arborist was in Dagrath, but at least their quests had converged in one place. "Let's get ready to go. I'll rouse Luna from her nap. I'll meet you at the Mother Tree in an hour."
His lynx companion wasn't in the hut when he returned. She often went hunting, sometimes for days. This would just have to be an adventure without her. He went to meet his friends beneath the wide canopy of the Mother Tree.
The time at the Glen had been good for his friends. Terran couldn't help but grin upon seeing them gathered together waiting for him.
Flynn had his newly formed rock leaf armor on with Skully hanging from his hip by a gold chain. He carried a spear on his back, daggers at his sides, and a short bow, but those were just minor tools compared to the Jinx class that gave him a confidence in his gaze. At first, Terran thought that the shadows had fallen neatly upon his shoulders, until he realized that Flynn had dyed them with black ink to match Darkness Sighs'.
The iridescent shine of Zara's armor was a stark contrast to Flynn's earth tones. The prismatic shells of beetles had been turned into a breastplate and vambraces, while her lower body was still unarmored except for a pteruge made of overlapping leather strips. She carried the enormous axe on her back.
The Ghost Tower: A LitRPG Adventure Page 14
