Kindred Spirits

Year 138

10 heroes were summoned. Immediately, I told my artificial minds to look for them. If they spawned anywhere on the central continent, I want to be the first to know. This time, the 10 heroes are new, and I want to play a bigger role in molding them, as my spear, and as my shield. If they survive, they will be my future allies, and will supply me with more [Titan Souls]. 

It took a few days, but it was Trent who spotted a strange looking young lady fleeing from the Rottedlands. She appeared as hybrids chased her. After she ran past the line of trees, beetles emerged to fight off the hybrids. These beetles were assigned to protect the trade routes from the hybrid’s incursions.

“This is the suspect, master.” Trent quickly highlighted the presence of the young lady in recognisable Earth-like clothing. She wore a dress and she had a watch. She was panting. This was nostalgic, somewhat.

I quickly asked Jura, Edna and Faris to go meet her, and bring her back here. 

“Who are you people?” She asked when she saw elves and centaurs approached her. 

“We’re from the Valtrian Order, a military organisation of the Freshlands.” Jura smiled, he put up his best diplomatic face. “We’ve been asked to escort you back to Freshka, our capitol. It’s a much safer place than this outpost on the Rottedlands’ Highway.”

“What if I say no?”

“We can’t stop you, and we won’t take you by force. But I can promise you that we won’t harm you. I’m sure you are confused and lost, and this is too much to take in.”

Those words suddenly made her cry. She was hungry, tired, and all that. 

“We’ll feed you and help you. A bath, some new clothes and equipment too, if you need it.” Jura said. Both Edna and Faris stared at him. They were not stupid, and they quickly realised this lady was a hero. 

She soon agreed. During the trip back to the capital, Jura stayed next to her and ensured she was properly fed and cared for. She had a lot of questions, Jura answered some, but for quite a few of them, Jura answered. “I understand you have a lot of questions, but I’m afraid I don’t know enough to answer it. Our master and spiritual leader, Aeon, will take your questions.” 

It made her slightly suspicious, but the express beetle-ride brought her back from the Rottedlands highway to Freshka in under a week. During the trip, she was amazed at how the scenery changed once they got out of the Rottedlands. Vast lands of green, cities and people of all races and species.

Then, Freshka itself. We housed her in a special building deep in the Valthorn’s Fortress in Freshka. It’s a standalone building, purpose built to accommodate future heroes. I envisioned that I would require such places a while back, so, with Harris’s help from back then, we built a place tailor-made for reincarnated or isekai-ed heroes. That meant magical items that resembled familiar, earth-like equipment, like microwave ovens which operated on magical heating stones, hot showers, spring mattresses, and a decor that resembled earth.

She cried for a moment, and quickly jumped on the mattress. She slept for half a day. 

“So... where are you taking me?” 

“Our spiritual leader.” 

She frowned. They brought her to a temple within the Valthorn’s Fortress itself, surrounded by multiple [tree of prayers]. In it there’s a [giant attendant tree].

“You will hear a voice in your head once you step inside.” Jura nodded. The tree had a meeting room, but essentially, it was me and her.

“Hello.” I said to the girl, her leg immediately buckled and she quickly sat on one of the chairs in the room. I could read her thoughts, it’s a mess. “Are you one of the reincarnated heroes?”

She paused.  “No.” She said her name was Astia, but Patreeck’s mind reading soon revealed her real name was Stella.

Huh. She doesn’t trust me, I suppose. “It’s not good to lie. Your foreign attire, and that watch on your hand gave your otherworldly origins away.”

She panicked. “...okay, yes.”

“Are you alone?”

“Yes. I think those that came with me... they are far away.” Wait. I just noticed she looked a bit older than the previous generation of heroes. She was in her early twenties, though she does look really young for some reason. She seemed to be working in a school, saving money for college.. 

“Did you get a divine blessing?” 

“...sort of.”

“Sort of?” 

“See.... uhm... when I died, I wasn’t meant to be in the bus.” It was those words, I suddenly felt a sense of dread wash over me. Was Astia, like me? An accident? “He said that I was collateral damage, but somehow I had enough merit to be reincarnated in this world with some benefits.” 

So where are the heroes? And, great. The gods are biased. Was I really such a piece of shit that they made me a tree? 

“He said that things will be hard at first, but I’ll be okay if I survive.” Stella sat on the chair. “But he gave me a blessing. [Late Bloomer].”

Really funny, admins, really funny.

“I still don’t know what it does.” She sipped on the tea. I always had tea for guests. It’s a thing, and it helped to calm my guests down, make them talk a bit more. “But I was told by Jura, that you can answer my questions? So uh... what the hell is happening? Can I go home?”

“To the best of my knowledge, you have to die to go home. Not guaranteed.” I answered plainly. 

She instantly frowned and almost cried. “Where am I?”

“Well, you’re in a world with demons and heroes. A demon king appeared recently, and so the heroes, those kids you saw on the vehicle, they are the heroes.” 

“No. Go back a step. Is this a game?”

“No. As far as I know, this is real, and you’ve died and now you have been brought here.” She’s starting to annoy me.

“Then why am I still in this same human-ish body? Can’t I get reincarnated as something else? Also, is it better to just die and go back?” She said, but I think her last question was meant for herself.

“Do you have a class, young lady?”

“...I got one while running away. [Scout] Level 1.” She wasn’t lying. She didn’t get the [hero] class either. [Scout] is an average class, though it does lead to pretty good upgrades.

“Do you get to choose your class, Astia?” 

“No. I just... got it. I can say no, though.” Hmm, the fact that she doesn’t get to choose her class, like most of the other mortals indicated that she really isn’t a hero. In fact, it’s because the lack of direct choice in classes, that’s why [class seeds] are valuable. Most mortals and locals have to keep doing a particular ability and pray the system somehow grants their desired class to them. The ability to get a particular class just by eating a fruit is really awesome. 

That said, for the common classes, the system is very generous, and has been seen to grant them out frequently. “Do you want your class?”

“Uh... yeah.” 

“You’re not a hero, and as far as I know, there are no ways of going back unless you die. So the question is then, what do you want to do in this world?”

Astia sat and couldn’t answer. “I don’t know, really. It’s not like I had the time to figure out what I want to do with my life when I’m running from weird monsters. Now I’m talking to a big magical tree that speaks to me in my head. I know nothing at this point, so how can I even decide?” 

Ah, the lost soul. How quaint. It’s certainly annoying that those who do not have the god’s blessings are lost and clueless. Those who are heroes are driven by divine compulsion. 

“Well, ask away. I’ll try to answer what I can, then perhaps you can think of where you want to go?”

“Can I be god?” Astia asked immediately. “Then I can open a portal home?”

“Possible.” The domain-type skills seem to suggest that is very possible. 

“Do you know what kind of magic brought me here?”

“No. But if I were to guess, divine-magic. As far as I know, only the gods can send someone so far.”

“As far as you know.” Astia sat. “How long will I live?”

“Without magic, your mortality is unchanged. With magic, maybe up to 300 to 500 years.”

“Can I get classes based on what I know back home?” 

“Possible. In fact, you should certainly try it. The heroes generally get classes from the gods, with little choice of their own.” I was honestly giving a tip. 

“Then I want to be a master [chef].” She said. “I want to eat good food, and make good food, and I want a restaurant. I’m gonna be more famous than Gordon-fking-Ramsay.”

Uh. 

“Then I’m gonna have a restaurant that travels the world, and then, I’m gonna have a magical door that leads me back home.” 

Uh. “I certainly applaud your imagination.” 

“I’m joking.” She sagged, her boost to high energy vanished abruptly. “I don’t know what I want, actually. How many classes can I get?”

“Humans generally can have up to 6 active classes, but I’m not sure whether that applies for otherworlders like yourself. Perhaps you can get more.”

“Since I’m not a hero, will you still feed me and let me stay here?”

Good question. I did intend for the housing to be designed for heroes, but here is an earther who isn’t a hero. Kind of like me. Possible, of course. 

“I’m really stuck here, isn’t it. And I was just looking forward to college...” 

Hmm. Y’know what. “We have 3 schools here. The Valthorn Military Academy, the School of Treeology, and the Freshlands Treetiary College.”

“Seriously?” The girl frowned, and then laughed. “Sorry. Those are quite stupid names. Couldn’t help myself.”

...never mind. “If you are interested, I’ll ask one of the Valthorns to give you a tour. I mean, or would you rather be outside?”

“Okay.” She perked up. “But I think I’ll just go to the Academy and the Treetiary College. Being a priestess is so... ugh.”

I would later discover that my tea’s effects on her behavior was a lot more pronounced then I had expected. 

-

“I heard from Aeon that you’re not a hero.” Edna said quite plainly, and Astia just paused. “I didn’t  know that was possible. To think the Gods could err, some of the templars would kill you the moment they know about you.” 

Astia’s face paled. 

“But worry not, as of this moment, everyone thinks you are a hero, and I’ve been designated as your bodyguard, and guide.” Edna shrugged.

“Oh... I’m... I’m sorry for causing you such trouble.” Astia’s emotions suddenly crashed. 

Edna paused. She wasn’t expecting that response. “Ah.” There was a period of silence, both of them didn’t say a word, but eventually Edna had to do her job. “Here’s some protective charms and items. This is a defensive shield ring, and this is an anti-poison weapon. This is a small druid summoning charm which calls for animals nearby to come to your aid.”

Astia still looked apologetic. “...it’s alright if you don’t want to help me.”

Edna ignored it. “These charms are not powerful, but they will keep you alive if something happens.” 

“Really. It’s alright...” Is she emotionally alright?

“Let’s go on the tour.” 

“I don’t want to go now.”

Edna paused. “...sorry?”

“I want to just stay here.” 

Edna was told not to push her too hard, so she shrugged and just let her sit there. I told her to send her back to me, for a little trip into the [biolab]. 

-

Astia, or Stella, had a normal physique, at least from what little I could see, but it was clear within a few weeks of her stay in Freshka that she was, at random triggers, suddenly turned emotionally unstable, and had episodes of depressive behavior. The tea helped to make her calm and seemingly normal for a while, but then, it would later cause an emotional crash. 

I had thought I could send her to one of the colleges, but then... I think she needed something else. 

I didn’t quite know how to help her.

The locals generally have rather positive mental outlook, they are quite hardy and seem to be able to take some degree of abuse and suffering. So it was possible to use my powers to make them stronger. Those, who are young, have been constantly ‘guided’ by the influence of my trees and my energies, and so, the degree of correction I needed to do for those exposed to me usually were minor.

For Astia, my issue was that... I fear that directly interfering with her mind, or lacing her with all kinds of drugs and saps, or using dreams to change her, would possibly be counterproductive, or trigger other kinds of issues. She seemed rather far off base that I wasn’t sure whether my usual means of alteration would work. 

It’s like trying to mentally correct a bloodmage. 

Still, I placed a [Tree of Prayer] near where she lived, and ensured that the effects of the calming trees ‘drain’ away the erratic elements of her behavior, and even then they seem to flare up unpredictably. 

With the locals, it’s like steering a ship and charting a course from the day it set sail from the harbor. With Astia, I discovered a ship stranded at sea and all of it’s navigational equipment confused and probably broken.

I summoned my council for a discussion. 

“To be fair, Aeon, someone with such an attitude or emotional weakness would have died. This is not a nice world, and if the otherworlders hesitate, dillydally, or are weak, I believe it’s quite clear that the monsters, the demons, or just those less pleasant will get to them first. They either become strong, or die.” Yvon, had the most dire of assessments. 

I wonder how she made it out of the Rottedlands? Adrenaline?

“This sounds like a city-disease, the malaise of the large capital cities.” One of the Patriarch explained. “She needs faith, more than anything else. Perhaps she also needs to spend more time in the company of the faithful, and some time alone with nature. Through faith, and through being one with nature, one can we heal one’s soul.” It is a soul-disease, in a way. But am I trivialising depression and emotional disorder to say it is a soul-disease? The priest may have a point, there are multiple ways one can achieve a step out, or at least, make an improvement.

I need a psychologist and a psychiatrist. Or at least, someone I can consult who has a more modern perception and understanding of this issue. They may sound sensible, but who knows whether their suggestions may be counterproductive?

I’m essentially trying to deal with modern problems, but with magic and skills. I may get it very, very wrong.

“Are you... trying to make me better?” Astia asked randomly.

I paused, and it was then I could read her jumbled mess of thoughts. “No. Not really. Just trying to understand what’s happening.”

“Good. Everyone thinks they can make me better.”

Astia fidgeted and moved about. 

“But maybe I don’t want to get better.”

She’s stuck in a hole, and she thinks she doesn’t want to get out.

-

Meanwhile, the devastation in the Eastern Continent continued. Though the heroes have been summoned, our weakening contacts seemed to suggest that they spawned on the other continents instead. If the demon king started moving, it may pass by the Central continent, and that would be bad for me.

The demon king, the twin-headed dragon-demon, seemed content to dominate the Eastern Continent. Lausanne, thankfully, still lived. I can still sense her, however distant she is. 

We don’t know what’s happening with the heroes, with our intelligence network crumbling. It’s hard to ‘feed’ and ‘pay’ for informants when all trade is blocked behind a blockade. 

The navies of the 4 temples are still relentless, though quite a bit of Hawa and Aivan ships have returned to the Eastern continent. 

My next project should be to build a naval force able to break out of this encirclement. In a way, this is the 4 temples, the existing global powers, attempting to curtail my rise to power. On the central continent itself there are a few large naval or maritime kingdoms, and they suffered greatly from the reduction of trans-ocean trade. 

So, it wasn’t difficult to sway them on my side. They are weak, and now, we’re going to commission them to build a new fleet of ships. The Valthorns had to quickly move there, to set up a mini-naval academy.

Fighting at sea, running a ship. All these things are very new to the Valthorns, who never had any experience fighting at sea. It seemed I too, have very little experience of my own, though, from the process of harvesting the souls of the dead, there is a decently sized repository of knowledge. 

That’s all conventional warfare, fighting the wars the same way the temples do. 

At the same time, I was thinking, how can I do this navy thing differently?

Would it be possible to build walker-class battleships, with long-range bombardment abilities, or large living ships that hosted a swarm of flying beetles or animals, like a mini-aircraft carrier?

Essentially, the navy must act as a limb, a means of force projection, to bring the battle back to the 4 temples’ homelands. In the same way, they can be used to push and suppress demonic forces in distant lands.

Or could I have floating trees? Living, floating islands like a massive zaratan? 

I would like to find turtles massive enough to carry my trees. Turtle-trees would be like amphibious carriers, wouldn’t it? 

Am I contributing to the escalation? The locals escalated this war with the hexbombs. The demons retaliated with long range bombardment cannons. Now we have flying demon-drakes. The next step should therefore be more long range weaponry, and space-based weapons. Or mobile sea-fortresses able to punch through the blockade and keep it open?

But even if I break the blockade, the countries outside, on those other continents, they would refuse to trade with me.

What can I offer them, with  me being so far away, that could sway their views? A big gun?

Once I do have a large naval fleet, would I be able to force them to open up, gunboat diplomacy style?

In this game of geopolitics, was peace ever an option? A big gun is necessary, even if just to force them to the discussion table.