Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Liz, Aster, and Matt sat at a table with Humptys group. They had all done well enough to earn a skill, and the club they were celebrating in was wild. The party after the fight was epic. Most of the participants were eagerly waiting for the skills to be assigned tomorrow. Everyone had put in requests for their desired skills, and depending on their individual and team performance, they would earn a slot to pick from the skill pool.

As peak Tier 4s who fought in the Tier 5 area, they had earned a slot in the top twenty selections. They simply had to wait for the AIs to finish their calculation.

Matt sat and waited for his drink to arrive. His hip had been shattered during his final fight. The Republicans had noticed the limp, and capitalized on his weakness with ruthless efficiency. The hammer that dealt the blow had some armor-piercing effect, and almost completely bypassed [Cracked Phantom Armor].

A good lesson to learn now, in a relatively low stakes environment.

They all chatted and celebrated. The entire bar was lively. Those that didnt fight directly had still watched and enjoyed the battle. Everyone was buzzing with the excitement from the close win, which was exacerbated with the abundant alcohol.

Matt was skeptical of the close win, as a quick look across the lake showed the Republican city partying just as hard. He pushed his doubts out of his mind. If the Empire and the Republic wanted to play games, he didn't care. He was getting a skill out of it.

The two teams stayed chatting, until their focus shifted to looking for company for the evening. Matt saw a brunette with short hair that he had caught giving him looks a few times now, so he made his excuses and sauntered over.

***

The next morning, he woke up in a strange bed with a strange woman. Seeing the time, he found most of his clothes, and slipped out before any awkwardness ensued.

He had just returned to his hotel, when he noticed elevator doors opening behind him. He turned, and saw a blot of red exit the elevator. He held the door to their suite open, and grinned at Liz as she slipped in.

You look as disheveled as hell.Witness the debut of this chapter, unveiled through Ñôv€l--B1n.

She looked at him and grinned in return. You seem to be favoring that hip, there big guy. Need a healer? She knew that she had correctly identified the weak spot, and she wasted no time in striking.

Matt coughed, Well, she was, uhh... Enthusiastic.

It was surprisingly awkward to talk to Liz about his sex life.

They stepped into the common area of their suite, to find a chair had been moved to face the door. It contained a very angry Aster glaring at them.

Matt vaguely remembered dropping her off before he went to Kathys. He checked the time again.

It was a little before noon.

Ahh.

Matt tried to explain, but as he opened his mouth, the fox turned her back to them. He circled, but the fox kept spinning in defiance. The duo had to go to each side and trap her, so the fox would be forced to look at one of them. Seeing that she had lost, Aster just hid in her fluffy tail.

Doing the only thing he knew would work, he said, Ok, Ill get you some ice cream if you forgive us.

The fox peeked at him, and buried her face once again.

Liz tried her hand at getting forgiveness, Well get you nice ice cream?

That got the fox to get out of her ball, and she walked to the door.

Can we shower first?

The fox just glared at them. He and Liz shared a look. Theyd be getting breakfast dirty.

***

Matt watched people packing items into square boxes. A quick search showed that they were massive spatial items. They were made for moving bulk goods. Even the smallest and cheapest held massive amounts of space inside.

Currently, they were loaded on the first platform to be sent out. Guild VIP privileges were coming in handy one last time. They would be moved into position as soon as the test teleport happened.

They had gotten and bound their skills directly from Driver. Liz had gotten [Water Bullet], which her Talent turned into [Blood Bullet]. It would let her automate ranged attacks.

Aster went with [Ice Spear] for the same reason. It created ice for her and automated the aiming, so she wouldnt have to solely rely on her manipulation skill.

Matt wanted [Demon Zone], but Driver didnt have the skill. In the end, he went with a more supportive skill.

[Hail Storm]: Cost. Minimum, 25 mana. Maximum, X mana. Mana upkeep depending on channel duration and size. Minimum MPS 5.

Creates an area of ice that slows and damages anyone in its radius. Duration and intensity dependent on channel cost. Size of affected area dependent on initial cost.

The skill was a rare Tier 8 that Matt had never even hoped to get, but their performance in the battle was good enough to net them the fourteenth pick. The skill would give Aster ice to work with, and could help ward off an area.

The problem was the mana cost. Hed have to wait to use it until Tier 5, when his maximum mana was 40. Then, he could just have a mana stone precharged, and absorb that mana to full so he could start the fight with the skill.

He'd be limited by only being able to use the skill at the start of a fight, but it was a good investment.

Two minutes later, after a gut wrenching teleport, they were back in the Empire proper. Aster squirmed in his arms and tried to get a look over everyones head. It was surprisingly nice to see the real worldagain.

Exiting the platform immediately was only possible since he was beyond human. Matt simply activated [Cracked Phantom Armor] for a moment to absorb the landing, and laughed at Liz, who was waiting for the steps to clear.

He waved Asters paw at her while Liz glared at him.

Technically, he shouldnt have used his skill in public like that, but no one was going to complain about the platform emptying faster.

They reunited and walked around. Liz had her head on a swivel, and Matt knew she was looking for her Aunt Helen. He had no idea what the woman looked like, so he spent the time reading the mail he had received from Melindas group while he was away. His return messages were already sent as soon as he got back to the PlanetNet proper.

Before he got more than a few paragraphs into the several messages he had, Liz grabbed him and dragged him forward.

He looked up to see a woman with long flaming feathers for hair, talking to two people. Aunt Helen, the obvious Phoenix in human form, wasnt what caught his attention. It was the duo she was chatting with.

The guild leaders.

They didnt have their glow on, and were mostly innocuous, but he recognized them immediately. His AI also had quickly linked their faces to their databases.

He was about to pull Liz back, when she called out in a childish voice, Aunt Helen!. The call got the groups attention, and the mostly serious delver he knew threw herself into the womans arms like a small child.

Aunt Helen just smiled. The smile had endless patience and love.

Matt felt like an outsider with Aster in his arms, watching the intimate moment.

Feather! Liz reached out to the womans head and, with a gentle smile, was given a feather, freshly plucked.

Matt would have thought nothing of it, but the two guild leaders looked like someone hit them with lightning. The slack jaw of the male guild leader clued Matt into the fact that giving a feather wasnt something that was normally done.

Liz giggled, and ran the few steps to Matt, hooking his arm and pulling him close.

Aunt Helen. This is Matt and Aster.

With that, she shook the feather hard, and it expanded to nearly five feet long and two feet wide. She moved it behind them and pulled them onto the now floating feather.

She turned to Matt and said, Riding on Phoenix feathers is the best. They also make great hammocks to nap on.

Matt had to agree. It was just like what he imagined sitting on a cloud would be like. Springy, but with enough structure to hold you.

The guild leaders faces had shifted from. She just got something rare to Why are you wasting that so frivolously. He knew both looks well. Even scraps could be treasured at the orphanage. If people thought you had wasted something, they would be sure to make their displeasure known.

And Im pretty sure a phoenix feather is worth more than special candy or toys.

Matt sat and felt slightly awkward.

Helen turned to the guild leaders and said, Sorry, I cant help. Whats started is started. If I were you, Id come clean and do what you can to make amends and move on. The setback wont be that bad if you dont fight it. Now, if youll excuse me, I havent seen my Niece in far too long.

She didnt wait for their response, and turned to Matt and Liz.

Come on BethBeth. And introduce me to your friend. Dont be rude.

The feather they were sitting on gilded next to the woman as she made her way through the crowd.

Liz hunched down and gave an exaggerated pout.

Aunt Helennnnnn. I told you not to call me that.

She accompanied the words with her best impression of puppy dog eyes.

A now taloned hand came and gently scratched Lizs scalp. The woman went limp and all protest faded away. She lost all bodily control and slumped into the feather slowly, turning boneless like a satisfied kitten. Soft unintelligible sounds escaped her slack jaw.

Ok, youve had your fun and rubbed the guild leaders faces in it. Please introduce us now.

Liz straightened and sighed. Fine. Matt, this is Aunt Helen. Aunt Helen, this is Matt.

Aster yipped at her displeasure of being left out.

Aster, this is Aunt Helen. Aunt Helen, this is Aster.

The fox was mollified, but Matt still felt awkward sitting on the womans feather while she walked next to them.

This was someone close enough to Liz that he didnt want to mess up the first impression. So he said, Hello maam. in his best polite tone.

She smiled with the approval of a mother whose child did something clever, and she reached out and stroked his cheek. It was strangely comforting, and full of approval.

You trust me that much?

Matt swallowed, deciding it would be best to be completely honest.

No. But I trust Liz, and she trusts you.

The smile came back with even more intensity. It was so bright, he was pretty sure that some of her fire powers were slipping.

Almost too quiet for him to hear, he heard, Oh, they are going to love you.

Before he could ask for clarification, she whirled into her kitchen. Pans and other utensils flying.

Just moments later, three thumb-sized vials were corked and placed in front of him. Alongside them was a cup with the same liquid inside.

Three unknown and untested vials of strange liquid. Dare you drink?

Matt wasnt that stupid. What are they, and what do they do?

Aunt Helens smile was now evil, I thought you trusted Liz?

I do. And Ill drink if you say you wont tell me. But Id like to know.

The chef pouted, and tried to give him puppy dog eyes.

Or are they chick eyes? Are baby birds cute?

Matt made a note to look it up later.

Fine. I can sense your spirit, and have a good guess at what your Talents are.

Matt scooted back. How?

Honey. Im older than the unification of the Empire. Ive been around for a long time. Peeking around a Tier 4s veil isnt any harder for me than opening my eyes.

She poked at his core. Ahh, now I see. A very interesting Talent. A very powerful one. But there is one aspect of mana cultivation it doesnt affect.

The words slipped out, My mana concentration.

Exactly. There are ways to increase all types of cultivation per Tier. Those, She pointed down at the vials and cup. Are a concoction that will increase your Mana Concentration naturally.

But thats useless, I already dont have enough mana as it is. I cant afford to lose any of it.

She laughed. She laughed so hard that she had to wipe a tear from her eye.

Oh. No child. I can feel what your Talent is. I dont know the words the stupid computer used. But I guarantee that wont happen. I can feel that your mana pool size is dependent on your Talent, not cultivation. Talents break the rules.

Matt looked down. The cup was almost scary. He reached out a hand, and was stopped by Aunt Helen.

Ah, wait. Empty out a mana stone first. If you put less concentrated mana in, youd undo everything.

Quickly, he did as suggested and looked to Liz. He got a nod, and, like a shot, downed the liquid.

It was tasteless, and he was about to say something stupid, like he didnt feel anything, when the fire and ice started rampaging through his mana veins.

He crumpled to the ground, only to see Aunt Helen scoop up Aster, and feed her a drop of blood. The fox gave him a look, before sitting on the womans lap and closing her eyes.

The burning consumed Matt, and all he could do was writhe on the floor. He felt his head being cradled, but his attention was solely on his mana channels. There were like tubes being placed under heavy suction.

His mana decreased, and turned from water to syrup as the moments passed. Each beat of his heart mirrored his mana circulation, and he felt the mana pool in his spirit shrinking. His AI slowed, and stopped altogether, as it didnt have enough mana to sustain itself.

This was a terrible idea.

He could only wait as the fire and ice chased each other through his body, and his mana pool decreased to under what he had at Tier 1. He was horrified. If this didnt work, he was finished as a cultivator.

Every time he thought his mana pool couldnt get any smaller, it shrunk down even further.

Finally, an eternity later, the heat and ice caught each other, and their effects lessened.

With shaking hands, he filled the mana stone.

Nothing happened. His mana pool was so small, there was no appreciable difference in the charge of the mana stone.

Five nervous minutes later, with Liz still holding his prone form, he pulled back what had gathered.

It was minute, but he felt his mana pools maximum size increase.

He started laughing.

It had worked.

He looked to thank Aunt Helen, but found that she and Aster were gone. Only Liz remained with him.

The girl had held his head, and he smiled at her.

It works. But fuck, that was scary.

Yeah. It was scary to watch. And, well... Honestly, I wasnt sure if she had fucked up or not.

Do you know what this stuff is? Matt wanted more. He wanted to down the other three vials, now.

As he talked, he kept filling the mana stone. Once he guessed it was about double, he drained it.

Aunt Helen entered and answered the question. Im glad its working, but I wasnt worried. I could tell it would work out.

And to answer your question, that little dish is made from the marrow of a Tier 32 beast found only in a single rift. It was the only thing I had on me that would work for concentration increases. And only one of these can be taken per Tier. However, you could use another treasure if you find one. Sadly, no treasure or food would work for your regen or capacity. Talents are jealous mistresses.

A Tier 32 monster? How was he supposed to afford this going forward? Even if he sold all of his mana, it would still be nearly impossible to afford more marrow from that beast.

He asked the question he feared. There isnt a chance that this is a really cheap part others dont want, is there?

Ha! No, sorry dear. Everyone wants it. And you need a higher Tier chef or alchemist to prepare it. Though if you can get more, Ill happily concoct it for free. Youre family now.

While the offer was nice, it felt moot, as he had no way to afford it.

I should be happy that there are three more vials. That gives me until Tier 8 to figure something out. One step at a time.

He looked to the sleeping Aster cradled in the womans arms.

Is Aster ok?

Shes fine. Just tired. Binding a bloodline is hard work, and not binding it to your primary is harder still. But she did a fine job, and shell be better shortly.

They sat around as Matt finished filling his mana back to its peak. He had 20 mana again, but it felt much thicker than it had before. With his AI, he saw that his Mana Concentration was now at 1.08, slightly above the standard 1.00. Not much, but every bit helped.

Aunt Helen said that the next potions would help more, as they would have more mana to work on. But that would only last for a time. Once his Maximum Mana reached large enough numbers, the amount he could take would be less than the potion would be effective for.

He was still getting more than most would out of it, as he didnt permanently lose the Maximum Mana or Mana Regeneration like most would.

They spent time just talking. Aunt Helen gushed over their rings and how perfect they were. They were served another scrumptious dinner, and as they settled down, Aunt Helen asked, What are your next steps?

Liz answered with closed eyes, Work on our Concepts a bit. We both need to work on them, so well find a Tier 5 rift we can hole up by and wait a bit, delving as we need to.

Aunt Helen had a stern look on her face when she said, You should go visit your brother Travis. Hes on Tintel right now. He and his husband are on some R&R. It would do you well to visit them.

Liz groaned and tried to whine, but she was cut off by the older womans tone.

Elizabeth Moore! Dont make me drag you there myself. You three will go visit your brother. And youll go straight there. Promise me.

Liz opened her eyes and looked at Matt. He didnt mind. Practicing his Concept could be done anywhere.

Fine, well make our way there.

No. BethBeth. Look at me. The older Phoenix waited until she had both of their attention. Youll purchase the tickets for the itinerary I sent you. And you wont deviate from it. Promise me. Both of you.

Matt did so. After she had been right about his mana, he would trust her on something small like this.

With that, Aunt Helen ushered them into a suite attached to the kitchen, and bid them a good night. She made sure to let them know that shed cook them breakfast tomorrow morning.

They stood up for a bit and watched a movie before going to bed. Matt was worn out from the days activities. So many emotions packed into a single day had drained him.

After reviewing all that transpired, he decided he liked the old bird.