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Published at 30th of January 2023 05:56:42 AM


Chapter 31

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[You should’ve used the spear sword! How cool would it have been?] Glim bobbed and flicked. [Slash, Slash! Think about it!] It flicked once more. [Slash! See? Just like ⁠— Psh! Bam! Schwing! You literally had it! You just had to swing it!]

I shook my head with annoyance. My last potion was used… I rubbed my thigh. Sadly, I didn't want to limp everywhere, so I had no choice but to drink from the simple desire of being able to move properly. I couldn’t help but sigh as Glim continued to move around.

[That said, those humans were totally insufferable, huh? Scum of the earth! According to what I understand, all of them were prisoners!] Glim chirped. [Though most of these people were imprisoned due to minor charges such as theft.]

I nodded. “Is that why they didn’t hesitate to attack me?”

[My sources say the Mike guy was a total tyrant and an incel too! No wait, you don’t know what that is…] Glim shook. [Some men think they are superior and that they own women, that’s the Mike guy!]

I thought about it for a moment before dismissing it. It sounded kind of stupid. For instance, male elves were physically stronger while the females were considerably more agile. That was the extent of it⁠— well pregnancy existed too, but it was a bit rare. I had only seen it happen once in my tribe. Not like it mattered. I drew a heavy sigh.

[Blair! Stop thinking about grim things!] Glim called. [You’re going to get depressed! Besides, the Matt person is dealing with the other people right now, no?]

“I suppose,” I gave the battlefield a brief glance. The other source of red lines had disappeared, all there was left were: the Prophecy, Matt, and the humans who Matt was currently negotiating regarding something, perhaps for their life, since my desire to take revenge still existed in some form. I decided to try to forget about it.

All I did was recover underneath a tree, though the two girls that came with Matt seemed rather lost. Simply awaiting for Matt to finish doing whatever he was doing. As I stared at the crater that had fading mist, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Glim, are all Prophecies slave contracts?”

[Well… it really depends…] It bobbed. [Sooo, regarding what I can disclose is that. All of these Prophecies are from outside and the ones outside have their own interests regarding this place. So think of it as trying to get a share of this place.]

“Uh huh…” I frowned. That sounded heavily skewed. I reached for my bag and held the Prophecy of the Undying Wisp.

[W-Wait!] Glim interrupted. [Don’t be too hasty! Not everyone from there wants a piece of you. Sometimes they are gifts, other times there might be favors, and other times it might be a trial. It truly depends!] Glim trembled. [Ah, ah, ah!] it gasped before shaking and remaining silent.

I couldn’t help but give it a weird look.

[Sorry about that, it is I. Glim! I have just been reset and reloaded! Apparently ye old me said something they shouldn’t!] Glim floated to my side. [Let’s see, yeah due to the things I said, don’t consume this Prophecy unless you truly feel like it is hopeless! And even then, whispers go around that this is just one round of two.] It whispered in my mind.

“I see, so… will there be more Prophecies after this?”

[According to whispers yea, but what do I know I am just an SGA.] Glim chuckled oddly.

I gave it a weird look. “Are you okay?”

[No, but I should go back to normalcy after all my data is fully restored. Just give it a few minutes⁠— Oh by the way Blair, did you ever think of getting some clothes? It would certainly prevent the men from ogling you!]

Ha… So, Glim was back now. “I can’t get clothes unless they come from a chest or make them myself.”

[Oh, right.] It bobbed. [Sorry, I am still remembering things. But you should consider the mana sword thing on the spear! It would be totally really cool! Though what you did with the explosive arrow hopping was really cool as well! Though the pain seemed rather bad after all was said and done.]

I nodded recalling how I gritted my teeth and hobbled over to a tree before succumbing to using a potion. Though I still wholeheartedly believed that if my leg was alright it was better to save it. The fact that I couldn’t even move properly just made the entire experience more miserable than it had to be. I have to be more self aware, I lamented my poor choices, though it wasn’t anything new. At least it wasn’t a Knell Boar situation.

I closed my eyes waiting for Matt to solve things, tuning the other things that were happening out of my mind. Glim still served as an alarm after all.

Minutes passed, serving true to its purpose it notified me.

[Blair, wakey, wakey! Someone is approaching!]

I opened my eyes but it wasn’t who I expected. It wasn’t the man known as Matt with his rather average build and average face. No, instead it was the blonde woman with a freckled and rounded face, Andrea. She had a moment of pause meeting my gaze with a hand on her chest and the other wandering about, she approached with timid steps.

“B-Blair, I am sorry to disturb…”

I raised my brow. “Did something happen?”

She shook her head. “I wanted to get your opinion on something…”

“My opinion?” It didn’t really click on me why she would approach. I hadn’t really spoken to her much, and all I had done was shoot stuff with my bow.

“Should I receive the Prophecy? Samantha and I are having a bit of a disagreement. I think that it’s simply easier for me to survive with the Prophecy.”

I decided to listen and nod along, since she hadn’t really asked my help or input before. “I suppose you can say that it is easier to survive,” I mused. “But at the same time you will end up elsewhere after all of this is done. Yes perhaps there is safety in that, but it also splits you from your roots.”

She closed her eyes. “This whole System thing is hard to believe, I didn’t have a choice.”

“I don’t either,” I added.

My response however made her bite her lip. “But I am not you! You’re strong and confident but all I can do is quake in my boots whenever a monstrosity of the forest appears. I am unsure if this Prophecy will help with that, but perhaps it can assure me safety.”

“I suppose so.” I closed my eyes. “I am not you either, I have plans for the future that require free range.” I thought of the elves. A small part of me worried about killing things and sentient things. Would I have some sort of mental block? I didn’t know. That said, I had already killed two humans, I pondered over killing the other ones for sure, but it still felt off to me.

“I see,” she shuffled. “I think I’ll do it, I will take the Prophecy.”

I agreed with a nod once more. “Talk about it with Matt, since all of you are a group and all.”

She had a moment of pause before giving me a weak smile. “I will, thanks.” With that said she turned and left.

My eyes wandered to the battlefield. There was a man whose neck was snapped on the ground, his face was mangled after getting kneed. And then there was the other man that called me his bitch. I had killed two sentient beings already, had I not? I frowned, feeling a sense of detachment. Part of me was trying to make me feel guilty about my actions, but the other one was unsure.

They had attacked first. What did they expect? At the same time the guilt part of me told me it was still wrong to have killed them. Haa… If I was the one starting the attack would I be okay with killing? Or at least as okay as I am now? Troublesome…

[Um Blair…] Glim called my attention. [I can’t help but notice that you’re thinking about killing. While I am totally sure you won’t agree with this. In this wide universe killing happens left and right, there are beings that hunt others integrated for their levels. I think it’s just part of life.]

I had a moment of pause. What Glim had said was completely reasonable. I found myself agreeing with it. Glim was right, it was just part of life, a part of this new life of mine. I closed my eyes and waited once more.

◇ ◇ ◇

I opened my eyes to an annoyed Matt. The better part of an hour had now passed, and the sky still brimmed with stars.

“So,” Matt began. “Those people are affiliated with the demons I told you about…”

I looked at him strangely. “So do you want me to go kill them?”

He shook his head in defeat. “No, it’s more like the demons of the empire want to recruit us as well? And that’s part of the reason they have been pestering us?”

I frowned. “You said they attacked you, not pestered you people.”

Matt had a moment of pause as he scratched his head. “Yeah they got forceful after we declined their offer. Though we haven’t seen them again after our little exchange.”

“I see… So? What happens with the incels?”

Matt paused. “W-Where did you hear that word?”

“Glim.”

[Yes it is, me!] I rolled my eyes.

“What is… Glim?” Matt looked at me strangely. Glim bobbed in front of Matt.

[I am Glim!] I simply stared.

“Anyway that word is uh…” Matt hesitated. “Not good, and to some extent it also devalues the person using it.”

Oh, huh… So Glim was worse for using the word? And it had rubbed off on me?

I frowned thinking. “So, am I bad for using it?”

Matt sighed. “Let’s forget about that for now. Basically they will just leave us alone and relinquish the Prophecy. We shall go our separate ways, and if we run into each other again we will avoid conflict.”

I nodded, though something was weird about it. “Why tell me this?”

“I felt like you needed to know, that’s all…” Matt finished.

“I see…”

◇ ◇ ◇

Andrea shook in the middle of the crater, her blonde hair stood on ends as she held the hammer. The crystalline hammer shone with a myriad of colors, streaks like wisps of small light flew, starry dots floated and shone. Glittering, passing colors, and then they subsided. Her hair went back to normal and the hammer melted onto the ground.

The notification of the Prophecy calling faded. And in the middle of the crater Andrea stood. Her friend was by our side, visibly concerned for her. And then, Andrea opened her eyes, she looked towards us as a faint light blue emanated from deep inside her pupil.

“How is it?” Matt asked with bated breaths.

Andrea closed her eyes and extended her hand. Mist coalesced at her palm, it quickly gathered into tiny crystals, interwoven and branching with each other, they eventually formed a full object. A hammer.

“It’s… weird.” She finally answered, moving the hammer around. “I thought it would be more like a smithing type of thing, but it's closer to… ice carving?” She tilted her head as she placed the hammer on the ground.

She extended her hand once more, the crystal and mist gathered, and soon a small dagger appeared. “It’s… I can create weapons for people I guess?”

I looked at it with slight interest. It would’ve been nice for arrows, but that was it. The bird was much more powerful.

“Can’t you conjure ice powers?” Matt asked. “Like, shoot frost or something?”

Andrea thought. “Let me try…” She closed her eyes and with her palm facing the ground, mist formed and dripped. No shape was made and it simply struck the ground, but it didn’t freeze or change.

“That looks like a no,” Matt said disappointed.

I was disappointed too, but maybe there was more to the Prophecy. I shuffled with my bag, finding an item that I had acquired a while ago. A small vial of liquid.

[Guidance Of The Stars: 1 minute (Epic item) ⁠— Seek the guidance of the stars themselves to show you the path of your Prophecy.]

I briefly considered giving it away to know its effects, but shook my head. The other way to acquire it was reaching level 20, which well… I was level 11. I sighed and simply stowed it away, letting the group finish talking out the details of the Prophecy.

While they discussed things among themselves. I took a look at my stats.

Name: Blair | Level: 11

Race: ??? (E-Grade)

Feats: [Lone Survivor], [Bottomless Ambition]

Basic skills: Universal Understanding (NaN),

Universal Inquiry (NaN)

Free attribute points: 2

VIG: 33 | END: 36 |

STR: 30 | AGI: 41 |

PER: 38 | WIS: 27 |

Skills: [Proficient Archery (Passive Uncommon)], [Explosive Shot (Rare)] [Power Draw (Uncommon)], [Penumbral Instinct (Rare Passive)]

Attunements: Dark plants (I)

Prime Currency: 100

They looked good, but I had two left over points that I had no idea what to do with. I sighed and pondered on my last few battles. The only thing that stood out to me was the fact that I always ended up injured. Vigor. I sighed. Wasn’t my original plan to dump all my points into it anyway? I smiled. There was nothing wrong with being harder to kill after all.

After putting both points into it, Vigor went up to 35.

I stared at the stats as Matt and the others finished discussing and came to my side. And then something strange happened.

Name: Blair | Level: 11

Race: ??? (E-Grade)

Feats: [Lone Survivor], [Bottomless Ambition]

Basic skills: Universal Understanding (NaN),

Universal Inquiry (NaN)

Free attribute points: 2

VIG: 32 | END: 33 |

STR: 27 | AGI: 37 |

PER: 34 | WIS: 25 |

Skills: [Proficient Archery (Passive Uncommon)], [Explosive Shot (Rare)] [Power Draw (Uncommon)], [Penumbral Instinct (Rare Passive)]

Attunements: Dark plants (I)

Prime Currency: 100

My attributes went down? How?

What did I do⁠?

Did I do something wrong somehow?

What⁠—

[Blair!] Glim interrupted. [It’s in your Feat, look!]

[Feat Achieved ⁠— Lone Survivor ⁠— You are the last member of your race. You’re unique. As the last survivor you work better alone. +10% to all attributes while alone.

It is said that only one Laxon remains to this day. A race that predates The Beginning.]

The notification was brought to my attention. As I read it, I noticed the part that mattered. While alone.

I looked at all three of them. “Can you people stay away? Go back to the crater.”

Matt got weird looks. “Sure?” But ended up agreeing anyway.

As they stepped back and crossed the ten or so meter mark, the attributes returned to normality. Or what I was used to. Huh.

I beckoned all three back and spoke with a harsh voice. “If there is any sort of fight, all three of you must stay as far away from me as possible.”

They nodded with skepticism. I had that sorted now, or at least I knew my potential downfalls. So with all that in mind I couldn’t help but smile, it was time for greater things.

Prophecies awaited.





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