by A F Kay
Ruwen remembered how he hated that interface. But a new thought occurred to him. If Sift’s parents didn’t Ascend, how were they able to give Ruwen quests? Could anyone trigger a quest in someone who’d Ascended?
“How did your mom give me those Cultivation quests?” Ruwen asked.
“What she actually did was project the twenty tasks to you.”
“But she called them quests.”
“She knows that is how you will interpret them. You are not the first Ascendant to try and learn Cultivation. Uru converted those tasks into quests with appropriate rewards. Anyone can trigger a quest,” Sift said. He tilted his head for a moment and then said in a loud voice. “Fetch Sisen Sift breakfast for ten days!”
Sift looked at Ruwen hopefully. “Did that work?”
Ruwen opened his new notification.
Ting!
You have received the quest…
It’s a Trap!
Sisen Sift wishes you to bring him breakfast for ten days.
Reward: Appreciation from your Sisen Sift.
Reward: A never-ending list of new quests from Sisen Sift.
Accept or Decline
Ruwen chose Decline.
“Nothing,” Ruwen said.
Sift’s smile faded.
Ruwen felt guilty for lying, but the last thing he wanted was Sift’s imagination constantly creating quests and notifications.
“Ky said Uru couldn’t reach me here, so how can Uru do that?” Ruwen asked.
“I know a little about this. My parents discussed it with me when I decided if I wanted to Ascend or not. You carry a sliver of Uru on your soul. That binding happens during Ascendancy and is why my parents knew you belonged to Uru when they first met you. That tiny piece of divine consciousness is probably what allows you to level and learn spells while you are outside her area of control.”
“There is a tiny Uru on my soul?”
“I doubt it is actually Uru. Probably just the fraction of logic needed to handle things like leveling, quests, resource bars, and stuff like that. I must be pretty clever to come up with a quest she couldn’t handle,” Sift said, and his smile returned. “Pretty clever.”
Ruwen nodded and hid his smile.
It made Ruwen uncomfortable that there was some sort of entity on his soul. But Sift’s explanation raised another question.
“You said other Ascendants have tried to learn Cultivation?” Ruwen asked.
“Oh yeah, a lot. Cultivation is a natural partner to Step or any other type of martial art. One helps the other.” Sift’s shoulders slumped. “So if you can’t Cultivate, then you are at a disadvantage, and you have to work much harder. Even then, you will never reach your true potential. Almost all the Step and unarmed masters have either never Ascended or become Apostates.”
“Apostates?”
Sift looked at Ruwen. “They reject the divine spark inside themselves and free their soul.”
A thousand questions exploded inside Ruwen’s head. While he couldn’t imagine giving up the benefits of Ascendancy, the fact that you could undo it was news to him. And as dangerous as things were right now, it gave him another idea.
“Why don’t you Ascend and then later become an Apostate?” Ruwen asked. “Wouldn’t that be a lot safer while your skills are maturing?”
“I thought about that. But my parents said that Apostates’ souls are damaged. The process of separation is not clean, so you can end up spiritually maimed. Plus, there’s the question of whether being reborn changes them somehow.”
The words shook Ruwen because he had wondered the same thing. Was he the same person he was before Tremine had rammed a magic dagger through his eye? It was impossible to know for sure. So Ruwen pushed those fruitless thoughts away. It was too late for him anyway. He had already been reborn twice. Uru willing, he would never have to experience that again.
Chapter 30
Ruwen, Hamma, and Sift sat at a table in the central area between all the rooms. Blapy had made the long room usable again. Chairs, tables, and couches lined the entire room now.
“These are really good,” Hamma said, as she placed the last of the sausage-wrapped pancakes in her mouth.
Ruwen cleared his throat. “I’m embarrassed to ask as it’s probably rude, and you are only here because I asked –”
“More like begged,” Sift interrupted.
Ruwen glared at Sift. “Asked, politely, if you wanted to go deeper into the dungeon, but I don’t have much of an idea what spells or abilities you have. It might not be safe for you.”
Hamma leaned back in the chair, and her eyes grew distant. She remained that way for a handful of seconds, and Ruwen thoroughly regretted asking the question.
Hamma let out a long breath. “It’s funny, actually.”
After a few seconds, Ruwen prompted the silent Hamma. “What is?”
“Your face,” Sift whispered.
Ruwen glared at Sift again, but Hamma smiled. “Okay, I’m trusting you guys.”
“That is a terrible decision,” Sift said.
Hamma laughed and then grew serious. “My mom is overprotective. Probably because my dad disappeared when I was little and I’m all she has. Her job means there is always someone angry at her, and that worry transfers on to me. I’m telling you all this because she basically forced me to take spells and abilities that protect me. She lightened up some after I hit level five, thankfully.”
Hamma grew quiet again, and Ruwen and Sift didn’t rush her.
“That is what’s so funny,” Hamma said. “Those same choices have value in dungeon exploring. If she could see where I am right now, she would be apoplectic.”
Sift opened his mouth, but Ruwen knew what Sift was going to ask.
“It means really mad,” Ruwen said.
Sift nodded and then signaled Ruwen in Shade Speak. Corpse. Player.
Gross. Stop. Ruwen signed back.
“Revealing my build is harder than I thought it would be,” Hamma said. “Also, both of you need to do the same. I’m not going to be the only one to bare my soul.”
Both Ruwen and Sift grimaced, but each nodded when Hamma stared at them.
Hamma took a deep breath and then spoke in a rush. “Okay, for abilities, I can wear leather, use blunt weapons, and sense when something wants to harm me. I can remove any poison, disease, or controlling effect once every five minutes, but that’s just on me. I can summon a being of light essence that will heal and shield me, but again that doesn’t help you guys. My last ability, though, should make you happy.”
A buff appeared at the top of Ruwen’s vision, a fist wrapped in chains, and he focused on it.
Judgement: +5 damage
“Nice!” Ruwen said.
“What is it?” Sift asked.
Hamma looked at Sift, confused.
“You might as well explain now,” Ruwen said.
“I’m not like you,” Sift said.
Sift looked between them.
Ruwen cleared his throat. “You might want to be a little more specific.”
“My soul is pure,” Sift said.
Ruwen groaned. “He hasn’t Ascended. He’s a Cultivator like his parents. I’d guess his level to be around thirteen give or take a level.”
“Oh,” Hamma said. “But he looks like a Fighter to me.”
Sift jumped up and pulled his shirt over his head and then pointed to the snake tattoo covering his entire torso. “Blapy gave me this. Isn’t it incredible?”
Sift continued to stare at it, moving the muscles in his chest to see what effect it had on the snake.
Ruwen shook his head. “That tattoo makes him appear to others like one of Uru’s Fighters, but he is really Classless.”
“Hey! I have class,” Sift said.
“Big c, not little c. Anyway, he is basically a Step Master –”
“I am teaching Ruwen the Steps. I’m his Sisen,” Sift said.
“That’s what you guys were doing before?” Hamma asked.
<
br /> “Yes, practicing,” Ruwen said.
Hamma twisted her lip. “So, Sift is basically an Unarmed Fighter.”
Sift had focused back on his tattoo, and Ruwen smiled. “He has some other abilities that help, too. He can sense what’s in a room, the smaller the room, the better, and he can absorb just about any type of energy that touches him.”
“What does that mean exactly?” Hamma asked.
“As long as the source isn’t too concentrated, his Center absorbs it and…” Ruwen trailed off as a thought shook him.
Using the Harvester Open and Closed poses, he had controlled the flow and type of energy he’d absorbed. It was no different than Sift, except Sift did it naturally. If Ruwen could mimic that somehow, or figure out how to Harvest like that without doing the poses, he could walk around on fire, just like Sift. He would need to be careful though to not actually Harvest it, but only absorb what touched him. It was something he definitely needed to practice.
“Hey!” Hamma said as she waved her hand in front of Ruwen’s face.
“Sorry, I drifted off for a second,” Ruwen said.
“He does that a lot,” Sift said. “Until dungeon level fifteen, I can handle most of what Blapy throws at me. Although with three of us going, she will increase the difficulty. If I am on fire or engulfed in a spell, don’t worry. Cuts, especially piercing attacks, are what really hurt me.”
Hamma’s brow furrowed. “That’s good to know. You’ve already seen some of my healing spells…”
Hamma stopped as Sift stood and bowed deeply. “Sister Hamma, I owe you my life. I am ashamed that it has taken me so long to express my thankfulness. The One teaches us that life, while fruitless, should still be cherished. I owe you a soul debt.”
Sift bowed again and then sat.
“You’re welcome, Sift,” Hamma said. “Although Ruwen’s quick thinking is what really saved your life.”
“But the ambush was his fault, so I consider us even,” Sift said.
“Hey, I should get some credit. Maybe a nod or a wink,” Ruwen said.
Sift shook his head. “You covered me in Bendie poop.”
“How about a soulful look of appreciation?” Ruwen asked.
Sift looked at Hamma. “Do your friends cover you in poop?”
Hamma rubbed her forehead. “How do you two get sidetracked like this all the time?”
Ruwen and Sift both looked confused.
“Back on topic,” Hamma said. “With my Energy spells, I can bless our food to give us some extra Regen, smite enemies with Heaven’s Wrath, and stun them with Fist of Order. I have Holy Shield to protect myself. For my Mana spells, I have the signal Summon Order that you saw during the ambush, and I can use that to blind. I have Consecrate that I can put on a weapon to increase damage, and three heals. An expensive instant one called Uru’s Hope, one for minor wounds called Uru’s Touch, and the channeled one you watched me use on Sift called Uru’s Breath.”
Ruwen leaned back. Hamma was far more prepared for a dungeon than he was. She could damage enemies, shield herself, and heal her friends.
“You are really powerful,” Ruwen said.
Hamma blushed.
“You are way more valuable than Ruwen,” Sift said. “In fact, Ruwen does more damage to himself than the monsters do.”
“That is not entirely true. And some of that was planned. And I’ve gotten better,” Ruwen said in a rush, his own cheeks burning from embarrassment.
“Speaking of that, it’s your turn,” Hamma said.
Ruwen bit his lip. Hamma was one of Uru’s Hands, meant to help him. But she didn’t know that yet. If Uru hadn’t told her, he didn’t want to either. She needed to know his capabilities, though.
“My build is a little unconventional. I, uh, have gained access to some abilities and spells outside my Class,” Ruwen said.
“How?” Hamma asked.
Ruwen winced, and Hamma rolled her eyes.
“More secrets, I suppose. Fine. For now, you can just tell me what you can do,” Hamma said.
Ruwen nodded.
“You should start with your dagger catch,” Sift said.
Ruwen ignored Sift. “I know a lot of languages and can sense differences in temperature. Like you, I can sense danger, and I can also magnify things. There are a couple of things that make me hard to remember and make my stats look different.”
Saying his abilities out loud made him realize how pathetic they were compared to Hamma’s. It was a miracle he had survived with those abilities.
“For Energy spells,” Ruwen continued. “I can clean things and make inorganic things harder. With time, I can find traps, and I can jump pretty far. For Mana spells, I can create a fire that helps with Regen and retrieve light objects from thirty feet away. There are two damage spells I can place on weapons, and I can make a noise appear someplace else.”
Ruwen felt even worse after cataloging his spells. Hamma had been right, telling people your build revealed more than he would have guessed.
“That is an interesting mix of capabilities. A lot of Observer type things in that list,” Hamma said.
Sift spoke up. “I have to admit, he is clever with it all. Even if his execution is poor.”
“Thanks, I think,” Ruwen said. He looked at Hamma. “After hearing all that, do you still want to give this a go?”
Hamma stood. “I’ll go change into my armor. I’m actually kind of excited.”
As Hamma walked away, Sift put his shirt back on.
“That is one impressive woman,” Sift said.
“I know. With her help, this might actually start to be fun.”
Chapter 31
When Hamma returned, she wore a white tabard over her leather armor. The tabard had a blue circle stitched on the chest, and she carried a wooden staff.
“You certainly look the part,” Sift said.
Ruwen frowned.
“Is something wrong?” Hamma asked.
“No,” Ruwen said quickly. “I was just looking at your weapon. Is it magical?”
Hamma shook her head. “Once I’m level ten, I’ll get one. It’s too expensive to get one now. This is just oak and does one to ten damage.”
Of the three of them, Ruwen knew he was the weakest link. Sift could fight, and Hamma could heal and fight. Their best chance at success would be if the strongest members had the best equipment. Ruwen didn’t have anything to offer Sift, but the same wasn’t true for Hamma.
Ruwen opened his Void Band and removed the Staff of Chimes and its harness. The staff had been made from a grey wood, and white swirls were etched around it, circling the staff like storm clouds. It was five feet tall and the thickness of two fingers.
“Let’s trade,” Ruwen said.
Hamma’s eyes widened, and she reached out before jerking her hand back. She stared at the grey staff. “That looks expensive. I can’t take that.”
Ruwen could tell Hamma liked the staff.
“You should take it. He usually drops it anyway,” Sift said.
“Mean,” Ruwen said. “And maybe a little true. But I agree with him. You need to take it. The two of you are the keys to our success. I want to try something different anyway. I can use your staff to continue practicing.”
Hamma bit her lip.
Ruwen stepped closer and held out the staff. “Seriously, this will help keep me alive. I’m really just being selfish here.”
“Okay, but I’m only borrowing it,” Hamma said.
“I’ll take it back when you get something better,” Ruwen said.
Hamma smiled. “Deal.”
Ruwen took the oak staff from Hamma and handed her the Staff of Chimes. It made him sad to be losing such an outstanding weapon, but he knew it was the smart thing to do.
Hamma gasped. “I can’t take this! It must have cost a fortune!”
“We already made the deal. You can’t go back on it now,” Ruwen said.
When he’d handed the staff to Hamma, he noticed that Bleed an
d Backstab were still on the weapon from when he’d left Blapy last time. He’d been worried Sift had been ambushed and had wanted to step through the portal prepared.
“Does it still have Bleed and Backstab?” Ruwen asked.
Hamma shook her head.
“I guess weapon buffs are tied to the caster,” Ruwen said as he cast the two spells on his oak staff and then placed it in his Void Band.
Hamma stepped back a few feet and spun the staff around her body. The sound of chimes filled the air, and Hamma grinned. After ten seconds, she stopped and locked eyes with Ruwen. “I love it. Thank you.”
Ruwen returned her smile. “You’re welcome.”
The loss of the staff lowered his Intelligence to eighteen and his Wisdom to eleven, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Hamma’s joy made the drop in his stats easier to bear.
“Are you two done?” Sift asked.
“Almost,” Hamma said and then handed Sift a stack of crackers. She pulled another stack from her Dimensional Bag and gave it to Ruwen. She then repeated the process, but this time with a sealed jar.
Ruwen opened the notifications.
Tring!
Hamma has gifted you…
Name: Blessed Unleavened Bread (Level 1)
Quality: Uncommon
Quantity: 10
Weight: 0.1 lbs.
Effect (Passive): +2 Stamina, +1 Strength.
Duration: 60 minutes
Description: This food has been blessed, and its natural benefits have been enhanced.
Tring!
Hamma has gifted you…
Name: Blessed Spring Water (Level 1)
Quality: Uncommon
Quantity: 10
Weight: 0.1 lbs.
Effect (Passive): +2 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence
Duration: 60 minutes
Description: This drink has been blessed, and its natural benefits have been enhanced.
Hamma held the Staff of Chimes perpendicular to her body. She stared intently at it, and the entire staff glowed with white light.
“What did you do to the staff?” Sift asked.
