047. Crucible - 24

047. Crucible - 24

"Can't we rest for just five minutes," Jertann gasped as he ran behind me as we rushed forward to cut the path of another beast before they could meet with the second line.

For the last four hours, we were continuing our extremely exhausting pace of fighting on the front line of the camp, an elatriss away from the other line, rushing back and forth to kill any large beast that was on the path of meeting with the line of the unaffiliated.

I even used Charisma sparingly to occasionally draw the more crowded waves of the smaller beasts, which allowed the smaller beasts to gather around me, only to be cut down by my halberd.

I had lost my earlier hesitance to show off for one important reason, the reaction of the knights against that elephant-sized tiger. With their incredible performance, I developed a better understanding of what might have been truly threatening to the ruling powers, and what I had was certainly not that.

That didn't mean I loved the necessity to show off, but ultimately, it was a good compromise between getting stronger and hiding my real secrets.

"No," I answered. "It's almost noon, and I told Zolast that we'll be ready before then. I'm not going to fail because of your slow feet, boy."

As amusing as it was to push him, it wasn't my aim as I teased him. No, it was just a welcome side effect as I experimented on another Charisma trick, trying to create that 'command connection' between us. It was slow going, and for a few times he had realized the weirdness, but his straightforward nature made it easy to convince him it was just his exhaustion acting up.

A lengthy experiment, but not a waste.

[+5 Experience]

The notification brought a smirk to my face, not because of the immensity of experience. At this point, five points didn't mean anything to me. I had a simpler reason for my excitement.

The first successful connection between me and Jertann.

It wasn't flawless. The beast that died under Jertann's hammer was worth about fifty points for me, meaning I barely managed to take ten percent. Of course, there were other interesting implications, like the fact that Jertann only got one point from that kill, but those implications, I left for the future.

Presently, I was more interested in the immediate implications. It didn't help if I gained experience from Jertann, as I could have killed the beast faster. But what if I could extend that to hundreds of people all along the line

As I faced another large beast this time another rat I let Jertann take the point against the beast, supporting him from the side. Of course, my 'support' made sure the beast couldn't find an angle to deliver a blow to Jertann, who was allowed to beat it down aggressively.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

He had the necessary Strength to handle the task easily as long as he didn't need to worry about the counter-attacks.

I just hoped that he didn't develop some dangerous habits.

"Now, to the Promotion, kneel and pray for your god, so that he could know your heart, and maybe bestow the mercy needed to survive in this dark world," he started as he stood in front of Jertann.

So much for not being a priest.

Jertann stayed on his knees, praying for a long time.

"I have something else," Zolast said. "Something that can help you to not only survive but also help to protect everyone in the camp. But I want you to promise you're not going to reveal the truth about it," Zolast explained, whispering, his voice soft enough that I was barely able to hear despite my advanced Perception.

"I " Jertann started, only to freeze when Zolast pulled a box, one that was made of silver with gold runes around. It was smaller than the box the guard had used to hide the blue stone but then opened, and the intensity of its glow surprised me.

So did the color, a shockingly bright green.

"Is this an ability stone," Jertann gasped in shock. "But, that's a treasure. Even a noble" Jertann gasped, his tone lingering.

"Would spend a fortune on that, only to use it for his own luxury, and nothing else," Zolast answered, his tone sharp and unyielding. "That's why I'm going to seal the information so you can't reveal it to others."

There was clearly a story behind his distaste, one that I had no intention of going around poking others' life stories. I had more than a sufficient number of my own issues to deal with. The ability to seal the information was another fascinating detail, but with a world where any noble could use magical interrogation, it made perfect sense.

"Do you accept this mission to protect the innocent," Zolast said.

"I I accept," Jertann answered. Zolast pressed the stone against Jertann's temple, and it turned into a soft, golden glow, infusing Jertann's skin.

The promotion was different than leveling up. There was no explosion of light, just a slow merging with the golden glow. Jertann paused and started to look into the emptiness. I remembered from my own experience that it wouldn't last in reality, merely a few seconds once it started although it lasted more mentally.

Then, Jertann stood up, looking at his hands with elation on his face. "I that ability it's impossible," Jertann gasped in shock.

"It's a gift. I have already sealed the information so you can't talk about its origin. Still, make sure you don't show off too much near a noble, not unless you want to be forcibly recruited to their house," Zolast said. "Now, go and defend the camp."

Satisfied, I went back to the seat Zolast had prepared for me and finished my food. With Jertann strong enough to anchor the unaffiliated, I was free to experiment freely.

I wondered just how much I could extend the connection of the Charisma