Elydes

Chapter 241 - Favored Son of the Isles

Kai strolled through poshtown, a soft breeze ruffling his hair. Beyond the line of pastel buildings, the sky was tinged with shades of orange, red and pink. Even this close to the rainy season, the warmth of the sun lingered in the paved streets beneath his sandals.

Much had changed, but underneath its colorful and magical veneer, the archipelago remained his home, filled with lively merchants and the salty smell of the sea. Now, there were just more shades of people and goods.

“Fresh drinks! Fresh drinks! Last of the day!” A girl advertised exotic drinks from an enchanted cooler. “Directly from the mainland.”

“Someone brought them across the ocean?” Kai couldn’t hide the skepticism in his voice. Even with an expanded cargo hold, the weeks of voyage would be too expensive to justify anything but liquors.

The girl jolted and did a double take on him, putting on a hasty smile. “Yes, sir. Directly from the orchards of Namelia. There is nothing more relaxing after a long day of hard work, you have my word. I can sell it at half the price to prove it.”

“Uh, sure. I’ll take one.” Kai rummaged through his pockets for a handful of coppers. He eyed the coconut and wooden straw with a glint of suspicion.

"People like a piece of home with a little novelty.” The girl promptly justified, mistaking him for a tourist.

Sure…

Kai took a sip. The pale green liquid had a citrusy scent. The exotic taste was something between apple and orange. If he were to guess, the imported trees were grown in the hinterland of Yanlun, probably around Hawkfield.

It’s not bad. Not sure if it’s worth the price of two full meals.

The cost of living had grown significantly while he was away and people hardly glanced at the feats of magical engineering. Even among the natives, one in three islanders wore an enchanted accessory, usually clothes with cleaning or waterproof properties.

“I like it,” Kai nodded at the girl who stood in front of him. “Have a pleasant evening.”

The stares had only gotten marginally better since he wore Flynn's approved clothes. His hair was in order, and he didn’t have anything in between his teeth. Kai had worked to conceal his presence, thinking his grade might be the problem. But despite his best efforts, people still acted strange.

Whatever, I’ll ask Ele later… Or not…

She and Flynn had fussed over him like he was some sort of lost chick. He shouldn’t have told them about his lowest point in the Sanctuary. No matter how many times he repeated that things had gotten better, they still wouldn’t listen. Eventually, he had escaped to get some air.

It wasn’t all that bad. I can count on a single hand the times I risked getting eaten in the last few months.

Finishing his drink, Kai let his feet lead him across Sylspring. Despite everything that happened, he felt relieved to have shared the story, to have broken down the barrier between him and his sister. Dinner promised to be another awkward affair, but he still had time to kill.

He stopped to observe a Fire breather who had gathered a small crowd in the main square. The woman danced and jumped through the circles of flames she conjured, much to the awe of the audience. Her acrobatics skills were good, her Fire Magic not as much.

Probably early Orange. Well… it seems to be working for her.

A pile of coppers and more than a few silver mesars were already at her feet. Her sculpted features and athletic figure helped, judging by the number of men gawking in the audience.

Good for her.

Kai added another copper and wandered toward the shopping district. From the windows overflowing with colorful vials and jars of exotic ingredients, Sylphie’s Alchemy Shop seemed to be doing well. A teenage boy with a pair of enchanted spectacles entertained a pair of customers.

I’ll stop by another time. There had been enough reunions for one day. He didn’t even know if Telu and the old crone knew about his disappearance. Hopefully, Reishi was doing well too. The merman had expanded his business beyond the archipelago, though he still visited regularly to keep an eye on things. Flynn reassured him he would know when the merchant came back.

Kai roamed through the less flashy districts. After two years alone, he enjoyed being surrounded by people if they didn’t intrude on his personal space. Each passerby appeared so carefree.

The idle chatter of the closing market filled him with a peaceful nostalgia. He grasped at the quiet serenity. A part of him still expected to wake up back on the island. Perhaps in the clutches of some dream monster feeding on him.

Don’t be an idiot. This is not the Matrix. You’ve escaped.

~ ~ ~

Kai pulled himself off the ivory ground with a groan. A gold and blue mosaic danced on the floor, he stared at the runes till they stopped spinning. He hadn’t felt such a migraine since a Granite Stomper kicked his head.

By habit, he cast water to rinse the blood off his face when a sharp pain blurred his vision. The blob splashed over his torn clothes.

Fuck.

“You didn’t say it would hurt this much.” Kai glared at the ivory fairy, buzzing over two years of efforts with a disinterested look.

“Mhmm… I had forgotten about your peculiar need to state the obvious. The strain is merely temporary.” Zervathi snorted with a strident mix of shrill and thundering. “You just morphed your vocation. Did you expect it to be entirely painless? Or did you want me to waste my divine might on your superficial comforts?”

“I—” Kai shut his mouth. Arguing with the god was an exercise in futility. “Did it work…?”

The fairy waved his dainty hand in dismissal. “Naturally. Despite some unexpected surprises, my being is beyond mistakes. You may check the results by yourself and pledge your eternal gratitude. I've outdone myself.”

You didn’t sound nearly as confident earlier.

Kai cast the notifications. The culmination of uncountable blood, sweat and tears, the final missing piece to go back home.

*Ding*

Congratulations! Through the eternal wisdom and benevolence of the god of the Hidden Sanctuary, Zervathi, your profession has successfully completed a horizontal evolution.

Mana Child (lv10) has transitioned to Favored Son of The Isles (lv7).

Warning: Due to the extraordinary circumstances of this divine intervention, some experience and levels have been lost in the process.

*Ding*

Congratulations! The god of the Hidden Sanctuary, Zervathi, has fulfilled your third and final request. The bargain is now complete.

The world appeared to slow as his heart raced in his chest. Could he truly go home? Kai checked his status for absolute confirmation. It was all there and more.

“Will it safely send me back?”

“I’ve fulfilled your request to the best of my considerable abilities.” The fairy fluttered over his head, forcing him to crane his neck.

Then why are you still here?

He forced down the irritation and respectfully bowed his head. “Could you share your precious wisdom one more time?”

“Well…” Zervathi scratched his pointy nose. The pest wallowed in his knowledge for a good minute before abandoning himself to a dramatic sigh. “I’m too kind for my own good. If you follow my instructions to the letter, I’d say you have a decent chance to reach your destination with all your limbs and sanity intact. Though you would do well to double-check that sloppy siphoning array.”

Kai’s gaze darted to his patchwork of elven and human runes. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, human. Hmm… Who knows, I may yet find a use for you.”

~ ~ ~

The warmth of the setting sun wasn’t a dream. Kai had done it. He had assembled the ridiculous list of requirements and used his new profession skill and boon to tie everything together without getting squished by spatial forces.

With one thought, his status appeared on an invisible sheet framed with blue runes.

Name: Kai Tylenn

Race: Human ★ – 343,188 / 500,000 XP

Profession: Favored Son of the Isles lv7 – 2,247 / 12,000 XP

Body stats

Strength: 36

Dexterity: 37

Constitution: 41.5 (38+3.5)

Mind: 49 (42+7)

Spirit: 55 (48+7)

Perception: 36.5 (33+3.5)

Favor: 80

Boons:

Gifts of the Earth

Kahali’s Retribution

Spatial Attunement

Profession Skills:

Natural Prodigy (lv1>62)

Rippling Echo (lv1>60)

Astral Pathway (lv1>7)

General Skills:

Hallowed Intuition (lv18>76)

Mana Observer (lv38)

Empower >> Body Augmentation (lv34)

Inspect >> Mana Analyst (lv27)

Mana Manipulation >> Mana Weaving (lv23)

Mana Engraving (lv3>21)

Water Magic >> Water Magic – Advanced (lv16)

Split Mind (lv16)

Arcane Enchanting (lv9)

Swordsmanship – Advanced >> Elemental Swordsman (lv7)

Familiar [Hobbes] (lv5)

Runes >> Runic Scholar (lv4)

Nature Magic >> Nature Magic – Advanced (lv4)

Space Magic >> Space Magic – Advanced (lv1)

Herbology – Advanced (lv46>96)

Alchemy (lv57>84)

Blessed Swimmer (lv57>67)

Earth Magic (lv40)

Shadow Magic (lv38)

Advanced Hunting (lv34)

Treasure Sense (lv29)

Two years of purgatory had pushed him further than he thought possible. Then the surge of attributes and skill slots carried him across the better part of the next grade. He couldn’t help but wonder what his old teachers would say. Dora would give him some strange concoction to celebrate; Elijah would probably grit his teeth and mutter ‘he better not get a big head’; Virya might even raise her manicured eyebrows in a brief moment of surprise.

Three boons and three profession skills…

He hadn’t even known that was possible—and it wouldn’t be without the blessings from three different divinities. Zervathi had promised him a way to escape the Sanctuary if he saved up enough divine power to alter a red profession. When the fairy tinkered with their investment, Yatei and Kahali decided to chip in too.

Kai had learned that gods could interfere with the Guide on his first meeting with Zervathi, though he had failed to grasp all the various possibilities. It was both intriguing and terrifying. If this was what three minor deities could accomplish, what else was out there?

According to his godly ranter, the price requested by the Guide grew outrageously high with each subsequent grade. Which was why Kai had been forced to not evolve Mana Child beyond red, if he didn’t want to be stuck there for seven years.

Well, I can’t complain. They even kept the flavor of my old profession skills.

If he really had to nitpick a flaw, Favored Son of the Isles was a bit of a Swiss knife lacking a specific focus. Though that wasn’t necessarily bad when it granted so much flexibility. No longer would he be holding back and patiently waiting. Nothing would stop him from evolving it to Orange once he met the requirements.

I can reach level 10 in a few months, though Astral Pathway will be a chore to train…

Space mana outside the Sanctuary was pitifully thin, and he had consumed his entire reserves to cast the skill through the network of portals the Vastaire had built. Even with Hobbes boosting his affinity, it would be a pain to gather enough iridescent motes.

Hmm… Mom won’t be happy if I’m late after I’ve came back from the dead.

Kai continued to ponder his status while he headed home. Alchemy and Blessed Swimmer had lagged behind since it was difficult to practice them in the Hidden Sanctuary, though he must still be well ahead of his human peers. His skills had only slowed down when they advanced to Yellow. Part of it was expected, and part was due to his lack of attributes.

To fuel yellow abilities, he needed yellow attributes. Risking his neck daily had mitigated the issue, though it couldn’t entirely solve the problem. His Mind and Spirit struggled to push Mana Observer to its maximum range and precision; and it was even worse for Body Augmentation. The only exception was Hallowed Intuition since it relied on Favor. What might force someone else to abandon the skill, allowed him to shine.

The feats for advancing his race before fourteen and surviving the Sanctuary had been… proportional to the challenge.

Nicely at the peak of my attributes. Just twenty more till I reach a hundred.

Turning the corner to his cluster of houses, Kai approached the granny napping by the gate. “Hi, I’m—”

Her cloudy eyes shot open, pointing a gnarly finger at him. “Alana’s delinquent son! Your mother made me lose what little hearing I had left to ensure I would recognize you.” The old woman grabbed her white braid like a garrote. “I don’t care what trouble you caused, but you’ll only get one warning from me. You better start behaving, kid. Your mother doesn’t need more worries, and neither do I. Understand?”

Kai was too speechless to respond, so he only nodded.

“Good. Now hurry along. I’ve taken care of thirty-three sons and nephews.” The granny listed off as if she were talking about a kill count. “I know how to discipline children like you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He ran inside the gate, cautiously extending his senses when he passed by her. She was Yellow, in both race and profession. Her threats suddenly gained a new dimension.

I’m sure we just got off on the wrong foot.

“Kai!” Alana came running from the courtyard and threw her arms around him in a quick hug. “I was about to come looking for you. Did you get lost?”

“Sorry, mom. I was just curious to see how the town had changed. I didn’t mean to make you worried.”

“It’s fine. I just—”

“I know.” Kai put a hand on her arm. “Tomorrow’s Kien’s birthday, but the day after we can go together. You can show me the best places to buy fish or walk the promenade.” He wasn’t exactly sure what his mother did for fun.

Alana held onto his hand. “That would be nice. But do you think I only know how to buy groceries?”

“No, I—” How did he manage to put the foot in his mouth again? He might need to think again about picking a social skill. “Is everything ready for dinner? I wouldn’t want to make you burn something.”

“Don’t worry, everything’s ready. We’re just waiting for your sister and Sabe.”

“He’s coming too?”

“Of course, he’s your sister's husband. Hopefully, the father of a few children too. Spirits know that you and Kea are not making me a grandma before I’m gray and withered.”

“Please stop.” Kai covered his ears. “You’re still young, there is plenty of time.”

His mom ignored him, humming to herself. “I’d like a few more babies around. Kien would have someone near his age to play with. He has difficulty relating to his peers, you know. And you also have to think about marriage now that you’re an adult.”

Kai gently squeezed her hand. “Mom, that’s not going to happen.”

Alana chuckled and lightly slapped his chest. “You always had a flair for the drama. Wait till a girl sweeps you off your feet.”

“That’s not going to happen.”