NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26 - Unexpected Options
“Mister Giorgio? If you're feeling up to it, you have guests here to see you.” the nurse said. The muscled nursing student had been incredibly helpful when it came time for Gio to attempt to walk for the first time. Having not been prepared for the way his own body felt foreign to him, Gio had nearly faceplanted within seconds of standing up from the comfortable bed.
“Thank you, Arnie, please send them in,” Gio replied, smiling.
Gio maintained a large smile as Jean, Professor A, and Rika entered the room, carrying bags full of presents. His smile faltered briefly when Headmaster Vespertine walked in behind them but recovered quickly when she shot him a toothy grin.
A small round of hugs and small talk later, and Eudoria called attention to the room.
She summoned an aura of blue magic, which clung like static electricity to the fuzzy room. “Well, I guess we’ll get started with the elephant in the room, then.” The tall woman said, her black and grey hair tied neatly into a bun, allowing her elegant blue earrings to shine in the light of her spell.
“We’ve put off this conversation until you woke up, Gio, but I’ve been very eager to officially say this: Thank you all, for what you’ve done for this school. Allow me to be very clear and direct- none of you are in any trouble for what happened, regardless of any rumors you may have heard. The lich-dragon you killed would have become terribly powerful if he had been able to fully absorb the mana from his cursed hoard. Miss Chakraverti’s divination skill has saved countless lives, potentially on a national scale.” The woman stated.
“So the dragon is gone, then?” Gio asked, feeling relieved.
“My dear boy… you annihilated the dragon. By the time we got there, the only things left were a pile of glassy slag and the famously indestructible crown horns of an elder arcane dragon.” She replied, chortling.
“Gio… when your mirror spell faded, the other side of the room was gone. I didn’t absorb much of the details, as I was… busy trying… to-” Chandrika’s voice caught in her throat.
“Chandrika was trying to put you back together. Unfortunately, life magic alone couldn't do much. Eudoria’s warping ability was how we got you to the ICU in time. You’re all going to be enrolled in mandatory counseling sessions, by the way.” Professor A spoke, voice firm.
“Yes, yes. We’ll have all the time to discuss all of the unsavory details over Mister deGloria’s lengthy recovery period. However! Today, I think it would be best if we talked about the good things, don’t you agree, Alexander?” Headmaster Vespertine returned, warning Professor Anaximenes.
“Back to the subject of dragon horns.” she coughed. “You see, arcane dragons ensorcell their horns to store their knowledge and spells. Axarandamaias the traitor was presumed missing a long time ago, but he was wanted for the theft of several high-profile relics of some allied dragons.”
“To that end, several of those horns had to be returned to their rightful owners. You may not know it yet, but you’ve made some friends in the draconic community. Particularly, the ‘Horn of Blood’ was direly missed by a stout ally of the Ringed City. As for the rest of the horns, three remain, and they are rightfully yours, Giorgio. Professor Anaximenes is holding onto them until such a time when you can properly cleanse them of the taint of death mana safely.” she spoke.
Professor A spoke up. “As for the hoard… the gold was so thoroughly cursed by death mana that we had no choice but to begin the process of cleansing it. Rightfully, some of that gold should go to you three, but unfortunately cleansing it is going to take a lot of time and resources. The death mana will be siphoned out in a safe manner deep within the Manse by myself and Baphelus. After the school and the crown take their pound of flesh… there will still be a paltry amount left over for you three.”
Gio blinked. “We… are getting a dragon’s hoard?” he asked. A loud round of laughter resounded from the room.
“So to speak, yes. I should caution you not to expect too much from it though. Gold is plentiful in the Golden Ring, so the exchange rate will be murder if you attempt to exchange it for bits. We will guide you through that process when the time comes… but for now, the best we can do is certain niceties… such as assuring that you can visit your family, Gio.” Professor A continued.
“Would it be possible for me to give Gio my share?” Jean asked. Gio balked at his classmate
Wincing, Professor A responded. “Well… in theory, yes. It is your prerogative to do with your wealth what you wish… but it must be done so through the official gifting process…”
“...And the official gifting process is heavily regulated to prevent the transfer of wealth among students. So, red tape.” Chandrika finished.
“Correct. Bureaucracy is… the beating, bleeding heart of our institution, and it routinely wounds me to have to adhere to so much of it.” Eudora commented.
“Lastly, before we turn you three loose to explore the no-doubt blinking system notifications that have likely been burning a hole in your eyes, there is one final matter. The three of you will be receiving Commendations from yours truly.”
The three students gasped at the news.
“My one stipulation is that I am not in the habit of allowing students to hoard commendations. Giorgio, I demand that you find a suitable use for your preexisting commendation from Alexander during your recovery period. I promise you that there is no such thing as a wasted commendation- so don’t worry too much about choosing wisely. If whoever or whatever you spend it on tries to cheat you out of well-earned rewards, I’ll have a chat with them.”
Gio nodded his understanding, feeling overwhelmed.
“Well, with this lovely chat being over, I’d like to once again thank the three of you for uncovering a massive, ancient conspiracy festering beneath my nose for centuries. I have a lot of work to do. Oh, I almost forgot- Chandrika, your grandmother and I are old bitter rivals, but we’ve learned to love each other over the years. She sent you this.”
Headmaster Vespertine shoved a small package into Chandrika’s hands.
“You know, after years of envying the sages of your country, I think I could rather grow to enjoy having one under my roof! Let’s be off, Alexander. Let these young ones review the rest of their spoils.” The aged woman said, cackling out of the room followed by Professor A.
“For what it’s worth, I am glad that you’re all safe. I’ll see you in class,” he said.
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The three students splayed out on the exceedingly comfortable floor, resting against several pillows in the room.
“I wonder how many Academic Credits it would take to make my room just like this.” Gio joked, eliciting a laugh from the other two.
After the laughter died, a silence came over the room.
“What a whirlwind,” Gio said, sitting propped up against a fuzzy pillar.
“Yeah. It’s been… a lot. I’m glad that you’re okay, Gio. A month is going to fly by before you know it.” Chandrika said, smiling at Gio.
“Agreed… so, on the count of three, we open our notifications?” Jean asked, prompting eager nods from the others.
“One… two… three!” they counted in unison.
-MAJOR BOON for all party members
-Class Evolution
-(RARE) Occupation skill upgrade token>
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[The Shattered Man] - (TAGS: CHAOS_AFFILIATE|ALTER_EGO_USER|POWER_IN_MISERY) - Having broken into a million little pieces, a part of you never recovered. You may divide yourself into duplicates, and break apart on command. As an aspect of discord, you shatter anything you touch. Abandon the path of true magic and embrace the mysteries of CHAOS.
[Ghost of the Mirror] - (TAGS: NECRO|INTANGIBLE|UNDEAD) - Succumb to your injuries, shucking your mortal coil and embracing your newfound power over death magic. You may pass through mirrors, claiming the souls of those who die near mirrors that you haunt. Summoner of incorporeal undead. May grow into the ability to possess hosts through mirrors.
[Student- Mirror Mage] - (TAGS: STUDENT|MIRROR|TRUE_MAGE) - Continue on the path of higher education, learning to leverage your innate understanding of mirror magic to great effect. Bonuses to learning skills while occupation remains education-based.
[Wall of Glass] - (TAGS: DEFENSE|MIRROR|PHYSICAL) Your defenses harden, causing you to become a near-impenetrable fortress of mirror mana. Reduces your ability to cast magic.
[Dragonslayer Mage] - (TAGS: SPELL_THIEF|LEGACY|DIV_MAGIC) - Slayer of dragons, steal power from the draconic beings you kill. Gain proficiency using draconic scribing techniques at the cost of not being able to use regular spellforms. You will begin to become draconic.
[Apprentice Seeker] - (TAGS: SEEKER|LEGACY|TRUE_MAGE) Knowledge becomes you. Gain incredible bonuses to learning-related skills while in a zone rich in knowledge mana. Extra class experience rewarded for finding lost knowledge.
Whoa. Class upgrades… I knew it was possible for a challenge reward to give class rewards in theory, but this feels surreal. We’re probably going to be the first group of first-years to get class upgrades.
But also what are these options?!
Looking over at his companions, Gio witnessed two vastly different expressions.
Jean looked as if he was a kid in a candy store, who couldn’t believe his luck, and Chandrika looked like she had seen a ghost.
“Did you guys…” Gio started.
“Yeah. Unfortunately, I think I need to go contact my grandmother as soon as possible.” Chandrika said.
“[Sage] just became [Great Sage]”