2025-12-15 22:00:54We didn't talk much for the rest of the way. After finished bragging about his martial potential, he fell silent, mulling on my offer. And, I was lost in my thoughts, wondering whether the mention of a familiar divine name meant anything.
My conclusion, it probably did, but nothing that would actually matter in the short term. Instead, I turned my attention to his mention of the Promotion.His offhand mention of gods and being chosen implied that they believed that it was some kind of divine process, where people needed to prove themselves to gods, and in return, they received some abilities.And, since I didn't actually believe gods to be some mysterious altruistic beings — even as I started to realize they existed, even in a different concept than what I defined it — I immediately assumed that they were getting some kind of benefit from the process.Probably some kind of cost for them as well, if they were as selective as the explanation of my young friend implied.
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#40: River Escape
I was thinking about the best way to level up even after I lay on a thick mat — in my new tent, courtesy of Jertann.The return had been smooth, and I was tempted to lie down and enjoy a long nap — while spending Health kept my body in optimal condition, not sleeping for three days was already taking its mental tool.Especially considering none of those days could be called ordinary by any stretch of the word.Yet, I didn't want to risk delaying the opportunity to level up for another day, for one reason only.Trying to level up in the camp was simply too risky. I didn't know how attentive the soldiers were, how much stock they put into leveling, and just how fast they could run. They could move the full length of the camp in seconds if any of them had Speed unlocked.No, I needed to get out of the camp, and considering the risks implied in the process, I needed to leave the camp without arousing any suspicion.I stayed in the tent for two hours, resting as I
#39: Bargains
The distance between the nearest inner camp and our camp was a bit more than two miles — which meant that it was about three elatriss in their measurements. More importantly, the walk was the only time I hadn't been disrupted by the constant attacks of the small beasts.Ours wasn't the only camp in our immediate surroundings, and bonfires of the outer camps were enough to attract most of the beasts when combined, and the rest was killed by the archers that were patrolling around the inner camp — showing no sign of rationing their arrows for bigger threats, displaying their logistical superiority.The visitors had lined up in front of two guards that were wearing metal armor. We lined up as well, Karak on the front, with two pieces of carved wood already in hand. Others had similar items in hand, and the guard was stamping them as they entered — and taking half a denica of silver as payment.Then, we were inside."We should be out before the camp starts to gather, tha
#38: Gambling Gains
Cheating against a bunch of amateurs was going to be easy, I decided even as I watched the current dealer use the palm swish once again for the next bet, replacing weighed dice with normal dice for a few hands.The palm switch was a simple trick in concept. Hold a pair of dice in hand, hidden, while grabbing the target dice on the ground, but put the initial set into the throwing cup instead.Ordinarily, that trick requires incredibly nimble fingers, the kind that requires years of practice.Things were a bit different in my new world. The dealer's fingers were nimbler than the professional illusionists back in my world, making the move almost trivial to him. Without my perception, I wouldn't have noticed it — at least not at first.He had some glaring problems, the kind that couldn't be overcome by finger speed. The first was the way he reached. It looked natural at first, but after a few repeats, I could see that he was basically the same move. At no point, the pal
#37: Bonding
With the disappearance of the sun came the time to camp once more, as most people lacked the necessary perception to kill the beasts in the dark. They still attacked, of course, but the lack of movement meant much less intensity; especially with most of the attackers drawn to the huge bonfire.As we moved, the camp was in chaos around us once more, with tents being erected, carts being repaired in a hurry, forges being set up to repair weapons… A chaotic mess, making me glad that would take only a week to arrive at our destination."It was a good day," Jertann said, exuberant despite his exhaustion. "Now, let's go eat. I hope this new cook is as good as you say it is," he said."Not the best food I had eaten, but certainly better than the others in the camp," I answered and led them toward it. As I walked, I noticed many eyes on us, most of them focusing on me. I was getting famous in the camp, an inevitable consequence of my extended show.Silas separated from the g
#36: Performative Display
As I walked to join my little group, I observed the changes that happened in my short absence. Some things, like their position, were the same. They were still at the border between the Blacks and the Reds, killing the small horde of critters that attacked them, a rare few, usually, the smallest, ignoring them to move forward recklessly.I dealt with them as I moved.[+9 Experience]My actions were less about the concern for others, and more about increasing my experience gain, which was also the reason I had 'offered' my assistance to Gert. Killing small monsters might be a chore for them due to their decreased experience gain, but I wasn't plagued by some problem, making it a worthy benefit.And since my — admittedly, somewhat hasty — actions revealed that I was not just another farmer to the wider population, I had no problem taking a more aggressive role. Combined with the increased intensity of monster attacks, I expected even more experience gain.[Level: 1
#35: Authority Asserted
The move back to the red camp was without issue. I moved, with Master Qimir following me. He didn't seem to be in the mood to speak, and I didn't prompt him, letting him process his impromptu recruitment. Though, my reputation didn't extend to the rest of the people, at least not yet, as people ignored our presence until I put on my armband once again.Once I put my band, things changed, and people started putting some distance, even if it meant creating some traffic for other carts, showing that the unaligned was getting restless in the situation. But, no one tried to talk with us, so we just walked.Then, we neared the section dedicated to the red group, where the carts stood much closer, with some sentries vigilantly observing.Sentries who made sure to step away to avoid even looking like they were blocking my way. Considering that the earlier troupe had clearly referred to me as a warrior, their tenseness was not a surprise. I wondered whether Jertann spilled someth
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