NOVEL FROG 40: Levels & Lords (Day 5)
The next morning, while still exhausted, Kai felt much better. He breathed in the fresh air, no longer rancid from decomposing bodies. There were campfires burning and more interesting was a group of people celebrating a portly woman’s awakened soul. She’d been an avid gardener and baker, and her desire to feed everyone had bore fruit. Quite literally, she demonstrated growing some of the grains the Rakin elder had brought for them. She sprawled her fingers into loamy soil and pulsed aura into it. The wheat rose as if it had grown for several weeks.
Kai smiled. Looks like they are getting the hang of it, people are hardy, we will survive. He also noticed a distinct increase in people from different walks of life excitedly sharing knowledge. A billionaire and a pickpocketing kid discussed money; he wondered what kind of soul and aura that might create.
He was in the middle of nibbling some pie and honey for the first time in five days when he heard the Elder shuffling towards him. Her aged white fur looked quite haggard.
She peered at him thoughtfully. “Thank you for avenging Matthias, his death is not your fault.”
She lifted her hands to reveal a necklace made of his wooden beads, but they had changed.
Kai blinked. Each bead had grown to the size of a cherry, and the oak wood was stained blood red. A ninth bone-white sphere had been added; he recognised the texture from the Hearthshroom roots.
He ran his hand over the blood red beads, the grainy texture warm under his fingertips.
“…What—I don’t understand?” Kai said, his voice trembling.
“These beads... you wore them for many years, they resonated with your blood—blood that still contained lingering effects from our secret mushroom, causing them to grow in size. I also sense traces of crystal dust and your aura. I added a part of our immortal home in the hopes that over time, you might create something exceptional.”
Pride, respect and relief bubbled to the surface of his thoughts as she jostled the necklace in his face. “Keep this as a reminder of what you stand for now, not what you stood for before.” Kai’s eyes shone as he placed the heavy beaded necklace over his head. With a ninth bead it was finally complete.
The question is, what exactly should I stand for?
“Thank you, Elder,” Kai said.
The Elder had half turned away before she faced him again.
“In case I was too subtle earlier… you’re the mountain.”
After a pause, Kai chuckled, his mother had always said he could be a bit dense. However all the guidance the Elder had given him wasn’t for free. She was helping him, sure, but also hoped to lean on him.
Matt had died because he wasn’t strong or fast enough. The same could happen to the rest of these people and the Rakin and the rest of humanity. The weight was crushing. But if there was one thing he understood, it was pressure.
Plus you’re here to help me, Kura.
Kura’s tiny fox form licked his face.
Yup yup.
Kai grinned at the warmth of each bead pressing into his chest, and an idea of what he stood for came to mind.
He regarded the Elder.
“You cheeky old… Thank you, Elder,” Kai said, then gently clapped his hands together in a gesture of thanks towards her.
Ouch ouch ouch.
Idiot idiot.
The Elder huffed, then smirked and left.
Kai enjoyed the warmth of the sunlight as it broke through the clouds for the first time in days, or perhaps that was the first time he’d noticed.
His body was almost healed, he could feel something changing deep inside him. For now he decided it was time to check all his notifications then wrestle with his feelings and stop being wishy-washy and decide his path forward.
Ugh feelings.
Yuck yuck.
Kai examined his stats and levels first, he’d avoided it for so long to stop the temptation of putting points into anything that might break his feeble concentration or the healing of his body in his exhausted state.
He noticed there were five groups and he’d launched five boulders. His vital aura gains had decreased with each wave of destruction.
27 Slain
Vital aura -3% ... +12% (level difference)
Vital aura +100% (Trial bonus: Humanoid)
You are now level 30
You are now level 31
You are now level 32
You are now level 33
24 Slain
Vital aura -15% ... -9% (level difference)
Vital aura +100% (Trial bonus: Humanoid)
You are now level 34
You are now level 35
You are now level 36
18 Slain
Vital aura -29% ... -18% (level difference)
Vital aura +100% (Trial bonus: Humanoid)
You are now level 37
You are now level 38
14 Slain
Vital aura -42% ... -27% (level difference)
Vital aura +100% (Trial bonus: Humanoid)
You are now level 39
You are now level 40
09 Slain
Vital aura -54% ... -39% (level difference)
Vital aura +100% (Trial bonus: Humanoid)
Thruslik, Level 36 - slain,
Vital aura -12% (-3 level difference)
Saurkar, Level 38 - slain,
Vital aura -6% (-2 level difference)
You are now level 41
45 stat points to assign
Kai let the information wash over him; it was overwhelming. He’d just look at the summary in future.
The fact that he’d beaten Saurkar surprised him once more. Was the difference between them that she had been propped up by others? While his power was forged through constantly fighting for survival? There had to be more to it than that.
He’d gained 12 levels, and now had 45 stat points. Bringing mind or senses up a grade would cost 40, and body would cost 80.
Mind: F-Awakened (0/40 stats)
Thought speed, memory, mental resistances.
Body: E-Purified (0/80 stats)
Strength, vitality, endurance and agility of your muscles, organs and bones.
Senses: F-Awakened (0/40 stats)
Perception, dexterity, sight, smell, hearing.
While extremely tempted to improve his mind, his willpower was already formidable and he had restored some of his techniques. He decided to improve his senses once he was healed and had actually gotten a chance to sleep. Compared to Saurkar he’d been too slow and he had some vital traits that would scale with senses. With that decided, he moved on.
Title: Lord
Details: Upgradable.
Reward: 0.5% of all Vital aura gains by those within your territory or order is collected as tax and stored within your aura river nexus.
Touch your aura river nexus to learn more.
Enter a new name for your island?
Kai had several thoughts enter his head simultaneously.
First, was Kura’s unrestrained excitement as her kitsune–fox form bounded around him eating party balloons and burping gold confetti.
Kai chuckled and shook his head. Glutton.
Second, he could see why grand orders or any order would wage wars over territory. Building out your order would be an efficient path to power, but for that you needed to be strong and have strong people under you.
Kai stared at the Lord title. He didn’t really want to stay here trapped on this island, or lead. Neither did he want to leave everyone unprotected. Perhaps he could help them get settled then continue exploring. There was a whole new deadly incredible world out there and he found himself overflowing with wanderlust.
He wanted to be able to protect, to become a strong mountain that people could lean on. Just not a sociable mountain. Kai looked around; he already seemed to have a reputation. If he could nurture that reputation, and get strong enough, perhaps no-one would dare challenge Earth, I need to cultivate a reputation.
Kill one, terrify thousands, Kura thought.
Kai, surprised at both the ferocity and clarity of her thought, slowly nodded.
Kai thought of how his parents had been murdered, how he’d seen his monastery crumble — he could still hear the screams. He reflected on how he’d seen people used as cans of vital aura to be gulped down, and Matt’s unfair death. Kai knew that if he wanted to stop assholes from claiming dominion of Earth, he couldn’t sit in a command tent all day, he had to become stronger faster.
Algrom had mentioned in one of their conversations that as long as one disciple from an order was still alive by the time the final trial started, one of the leaders of that order could descend in their place, which would be world-ending. Kai clenched his fists.
Initially he’d wanted to escape the trials, but now he would embrace them. He’d aim to be in the number one spot. The ground trembled from the weight of his conviction.
The question remained, how could he help grow nations and protect everyone while he was out getting stronger? Could he do both?
Considering Kura could create and receive items across vast distances, perhaps there would be a trait in her evolution options that could help with this. However, for that he still needed to get to the Starforge, his explorer trait just made him feel like it was the right direction. But before any of that he needed to be able to get up and move. There were still 152,102 others vying for the top 3000 of the first trial.
Kai ground his teeth.
So much to do. Where’s the aura river nexus end anyway?
His eyes traced the aura river in the sky that glided into the mountain and waterfall behind him.
Kai called Hawkin and Milah over, and asked them to find where it ended, and what was there.
Enter a new name for the island?
Something he stood for. Something that would feel like home. Something to honour the fallen. Inspired by the Elder—he touched the bone-white mushroom on his blood bead necklace—and after glancing at the Lord title, entered the name: Skyhearth. Unknown to Lord Kai, everyone on the island received the notification.
Tomorrow was the day. He could feel it in his heart. One more day. He closed his eyes; his mind had far exceeded its limits. But his heart felt strong again. Almost complete. He could feel something changing deep within him.