You know that feeling when you are just waking up, but you don't want to wake up so you just don't open your eyes? Well I was rather worried about whatever dream I had just had, The party going wrong, the princess killing Kaelen, and then about to kill everyone else, and then the players arguing as everything seemed to hurt so much. However as I shifted slightly I felt the comfort of the Duke's nice sheets below me letting me know it must have just been worried about the party after all there is no way that-.
"He just twitched, HE'S WAKING UP!"
Came a voice that sounded strangely like Jax as I let out a quiet groan. I squinted with one of my eyes as the other remained closed as I glanced around the room.
Sure enough I was in my room at the Duke's house. To my surprise, Jax was standing on the bed staring down at me with a relieved expression. Around the room Selene, Thalia, and Liora were all laid around the room at different spots and seemed to be waking up.
"What are you doi-"
I was cut off once again, this time, by the sudden pulses of pain rushing through me as I winced and gritted my teeth. As I doubled over in pain, Jax, and the others huddled around me as I looked and saw I was covered in bandages from head to toe.
"What happened to me?"
I hissed out as I tried to not scream from the pain. The others looked between each other before Jax said.
"We have no Idea, all we know is that when the Princess's knight attacked you suddenly fell to the ground, covered in dozens of bleeding wounds and this fullblood cat beastkin with paralyzed legs saved us. Said something about being from something called the red man's troupe and said that we were under his guard."
I looked to the others bewildered as it dawned on me that what I had thought must have been a dream due to the absurdity may have actually happened. I turned to my system where I saw that the summit window had closed, but the normal notifications were there.
Your soul meets the requirements to attend the summit
Warning: your soul is not durable enough
Your contract with Mr. Lee protects your soul
Warning: your soul is not durable enough
Your contract with Mr. Lee protects your soul
Warning: your soul is not durable enough
Your contract with Mr. Lee protects your soul
Warning: your soul is not durable enough
Your contract with Mr. Lee protects your soul
Your contract with Mr. Lee has eroded due to the amount of damage sustained.
Warning: your soul is not durable enough
Your mana has been used to protect your soul
Warning: your soul is not durable enough
You lack the mana to protect your soul
Your body has been cannibalized to have enough mana to protect your soul
The summit has ended, time will begin to flow normally.
Your memories of the summit shall be lost due to your current lack of requirements
Your skill Fragmented Will(E) has activated and preserved your memories
Due to the strain Fragmented Will(E) will become dormant for 10 days
Seeing that last message I quickly went over to my general System and opened it up.
Aiden Hallowcreek
Age: 23
Class: Alchemist - LV.12
XP: 14,811/23,000
HP: 32/32
MP: 82/82
Stats:
Str: 10
Dex: 22
Con: 13
Int: 30
Wis: 21
Cha: 0
Soul Skill:
Alchemy Attunement(D)
Passive
Increases your success rate with alchemical mixtures and allows you to feel minor fluctuations in potion consistency, improving the stability of mixtures.
Skills:
Quick Brew (E)
Passive
you quickly toss together ingredients to make potions with lesser effects on the fly.
Portioners Harvesting Guide (E)
Passive
You have a chance to obtain items used in potions more than others when searching
Liquid Crystal Consolidation (E)
10MP
You channel your mana to gather the liquid crystal in the air into a liquid state and pour it into a vial.
Herbal Extracts (E)
Passive
Gain the ability to create concentrated extracts from herbs, making potions more potent. Potions using these extracts have increased effects, providing stronger support for healing, endurance, or resistance.
Fragmented Will(E)
Unavailable until the countdown ends
(6 days 12 hours 34 minutes)
Passive
Your mind begins to split under pressure to protect itself. While under intense emotional or mental strain, you may subconsciously form a mental fragment — a sliver of your will that acts independently. The fragment may whisper suggestions, make minor decisions in your place, or retain key memories if you are compromised.
Silver Tongue(E)
Passive
Your voice is one that can sooth or lie with ease. You are better at persuading people and can lie more convincingly.
Advanced Brewing(E)
Passive
You can now combine up to three ingredients in a single potion, creating complex effects with layered benefits (e.g., healing combined with poison resistance). Potions crafted this way are significantly more potent and can support various allies' needs.
Accel Thought(E)
Passive
Your brain runs faster than most, allowing you to perceive and react to things you normally wouldn't be able to.
Basic Spearmanship(E)
Passive
Your understanding of spear use allows for you to be more accurate and put more force behind your spear
Ballroom Dancing(E)
Passive
Your understanding of dancing gives you a moderate bonus when performing a ballroom dance.
Seeing how the announcement said that It would take 10 days, and that the timer was already on day 7 I looked to Selene.
"How long have I been asleep?"
I asked worriedly. Selene gingerly put a hand on my shoulder as she said.
"Its been 3 days, after the princess thing the Duke and Duchess let us stay at their home while you recover."
The others nodded as Thalia stepped in.
"On the bright side, the fullblood that saved us stayed as well, and even said they were willing to help us."
At that comment I tensed up only to wince and curl onto myself for a moment as the pain died down.
"Y-You mean they are still here? Where?"
I asked, looking around trying to see where they were. The others looked at each other with concern as I turned to Jax with an intentioned look. Jax looked back at me as I mouthed the secret word to him. His expression went from concern, to surprise, and then finally determination as he turned to the others.
"He's been in bed for 3 days straight, if one of you can find a wheelchair, Ill take him to see Victor while you all can let our hosts know he is ok."
The others looked to Jax a bit confused as only Selene seemed to sense something was going on as she nodded and lead the other two out. Jax walked over to a small chair and standing behind it on two legs he wheeled it over as despite the intense pain it caused me, I moved to the chair and took a moment to just breath and recover.
"I don't know what exactly happened to give you those injuries, but whatever it is must have been a hell of a thing for you to use the emergency save."
Jax said as he began to wheel me down the hallway. The emergency save was something we had made when it had been just me and Jax for a month alone against the ash spirits. It had been set up because Jax insisted that friends always needed a secret handshake, or a secret bail me out of jail password. I agreed to the password, and Jax made the password be Orion, the name of his brother. Saved for only dire situations where no questions should be asked, and help is needed.
At the time I had been annoyed by the process of making the password as I just wanted Jax to leave and get away from my home with this adventuring talk, now I was extremely thankful I had given in.
"Honestly, even if you say you will, I doubt what happened will be very believable."
I chuckled as Jax wheeled me into a garden area. It looked the same as it had been when we confronted Kaelen, however there was a new figure who seemed to be looking over the garden. They were large, around 4 ft tall with a length of around 10ft from tip of the nose to end of the tail. They had a white fur coat with tints of red towards the paws and end of the tail, however from the waist back they were strange. Their legs went from delicate fur, to large blue crystals, small groves and runes in the crystals allowing them to move and act as regular legs despite their inorganic nature. The figure seemed to be looking at a line of flowers as they noticed us approaching they turned with a small polite, and yet mischievous smile.
"Ah, so it seems sleeping beauty has woken up finally, that's purrrrrrfect."
The figure said walking over as for a moment I had a small hope that this wasn't what I thought before I glanced down and saw a small system screen
Your soul Stirs
That message said everything I needed to know as I looked back up at the figure.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Victorrrr, and I will be seeing what I can do to get you up to snuff."