The Empires Rise

I wake up to the feeling of a small beak against my skull. I look at Ritotorous and find he has been lightly tapping the side of my head. "Why are you hitting my head?"

"Well, you forgot there was one more prompt you to address last night." Is his response before jumping off of my chest and onto the floor.

Nodding along, I go to my prompts and do see one more.

- Congratulations, you have encountered your first mergeable item. Due to this achievement, you have been granted a matching item.

Reward: 1 X Tier 1 Personal Evolution Box. -

Thinking of the other four boxes I had received, I quickly pulled them out to merge them. I quickly look at Ritotorous and ask. "Is it possible that everyone could get one of these achievements, and we could quickly farm a set of tier 2 boxes?"

Stopping for a brief moment, Ritotorous thinks. "I don't see that idea not working. We will try it out first to see if anything happens."

I merged my boxes, getting the Tier 2 version before we tested it out. Stepping outside, I see there are a couple of people already awake. I called them over to my location. The first to come over is Uxa, as well as Laxreal.

"Have you gotten the scrolls? And can we start to summon people yet?" Uxa asks, showing how nervous he is.

Bringing my hands up, I look at him. "Uxa, I know you want to get your people here quickly. I need you to think about something for a second. Do we have the supplies? Can we even support them at this time?"

With his head hung low and shaking, Uxa acknowledges. "No, I hadn't thought of that yet."

"I do have the scrolls, plus a lot more of them. We also received twelve specific population scrolls as well." I continue my efforts to keep him calm but not sad.

"What do you mean specific populations scrolls? I thought we had already gotten some of those from the one quest. Now you are making it sound like they are a different item entirely." Laxreal joins in.

"They are a different item compared to the Race-Specific population summoning scroll. Those are for the people we saved and brought back to the settlement. We get to choose who we want to bring over to this world. With these new scrolls, we can select an inhabitant of our little settlement, and then it will summon someone from their world at random."

Interest shines in Laxreal's eye sockets. Quickly realizing the implications of what such scrolls could accomplish. A little behind on what is going on, Uxa asks. "So you are saying one of them we can choose who we want to bring over, while the other just brings someone randomly from the world of the chosen inhabitant?"

"That is exactly right, Uxa." Laxreal praises. "With this, we can bring in one of our family members. Or someone good at management. Something along those lines. It gives us avenues that we didn't initially think."

"Not to get too far down this rabbit hole, but I would like to make one mention." I bring their attention back towards myself. "I didn't get a Race-Specific population summoning scroll. I will be drastically outnumbered by races I don't know much about. Or I will have to deal with someone from my planet that wouldn't work well in this situation." I bring this issue to the front of their minds.

"What do you mean by that Drake?" Laxreal speaks up.

"For one, my planet does not have mana or anything of that nature. Second, the only sapient species on my planet is humans. Granted, there could be other things on the planet that we don't know about yet. Thirdly, there are groups of people that already hate others just based on their skin color." I quickly list out.

"And you are worried that with the different races here already, they wouldn't be able to acclimate to the situation and would instead try to kill one or all of us?" Laxreal bluntly states.

"Correct." That is the only response I can give.

Scratching his bottom jaw like he would a beard, he responds. "Maybe we try with one of the specific population scrolls to see how they work. Also, we will summon another human here?"

This was one of the responses that I was hoping for. "I would like to do that, and we can also do the same for you, Uxa, and Zul'Zara so there are no majority races. We can then go from there?"

They both nod in agreement. "Okay, now we get the other two up to continue summoning. And also a little experiment that I am hoping will work."

With that, they quickly split off to go and get the other two. Then, we can have a settlement discussion about what to do next. I go inside and pull out all of the Race-Specific scrolls. Along with the specific population scrolls.

After 10 minutes of getting everyone together, we started the conversation.

"I be thinking that what you said to be true, Drake. Let us be having at least 2 of each kind here so we be having a fair discussion about the future." Zul'Zara starts, as it's clear that Uxa has been talking with her.

Strauvana nods in agreement. "I am not opposed to this idea as we won't use Race-Specific scrolls. Unless one of you two does." Staring intently at Uxa. "But I would like to clarify one thing before we start summoning people. I would like to see more housing being built before anything." I acknowledge this request and enter the building menu. I started processing building the huts.

"From what is being said, I should build 3 more huts?" I asked the group.

"Actual, we be needing only 2 for now." Zul'Zara offers.

Curious, I ask. "Why only two?"

"Well, I be using my scroll to summon my mate. She be left behind when I be transported here." She replies shyly.

"Oh." I am a bit shocked at this news. "Well, since we have the extra building slot, what do you all think we should build?"

"I would recommend not building anything new. Not until we know who is summoned from the summoning scrolls and what professions they have." Laxreal states.

"I am finding that I agree more with this failed scholar." Strauvana acknowledges his idea.

The other two also nod their heads in agreement. Asking Zul'Zara before we start summoning people. "What do you think your partner will take as a class and profession?"

"She be probably picking the hunter class and leatherworker." She provides.

"So we will have another person that can make items for defense, that will be useful. Once we can get a forest in the territory." Strauvana says sarcastically.

"Don't be that way. We all have been unable to do anything with the professions we picked thus far." I shoot back light-heartedly. "Are there any other considerations that I should take note of? Or are we ready to move on to the next topic?"

"I am ready to move on to this experiment you mentioned earlier." Laxreal perks up, instantly more interested in the conversation.

"If you have gotten him to get this excited over something, then I think it is time to move on as well," Strauvana states.

"I be ready as well." Zul'Zara.

Nodding his head is the only response Uxa gives.

"Alright, with everyone ready." I pull out the Tier 2 Personal Evolution Box. "When I was waking up this morning, I had an achievement from coming into contact with a box like this. I was curious if you all could get the achievement. If not, I don't mind letting you know the options this box provides." I state, looking hopeful that we can glitch the system one time.

Laxreal steps up and grabs hold of the box, with curiosity gleaming in his eye sockets. I can tell they dim for a second before coming back. "It seems that your conjecture is correct. I have also received a box of similar quality as this one."

Not fully believing him, Strauvana steps into his place and touches the box. Again, a similar dimness comes to her eyes. "Hmm, looks like this scholar isn't wrong this time." Keeping her eyes focused on the box.

The other two each take a turn holding the box. While also getting notified that they have received a similar item back in their huts.

"Now there is one more test I want to try, though it will involve summoning more people to the settlement," I announce to the group.

Zul'Zara raises her hand. "I be offering to summon mine first."

I gesture for her to go ahead and take the scroll for her world and watch. This portal is a royal gold color, unlike the first time the portals appear. The energies are more potent than previously.

Finally, after a minute of these energies washing over us. We see a slim figure walking out of the portal wearing hunter's leathers, a bow on her back, and a dagger at her waist. She has soft golden eyes and long silver hair. Looking around at her new surroundings, she immediately sees Zul'Zara. Running up to her, the elf gives a long hug before stepping back with a slight blush on her cheeks.

A little flustered at the act. Zul'Zara goes to introduce her companion. "This be Sylvasti Yinmenor. And as I be telling you all, she be a hunter. Though I be not sure what she be doing-"

"If I may, Zul." With a bow towards all of us shocking me more than a little. She introduces herself to us all. "As Zul has been saying. I am Sylvasti Yinmenor. When dragged into that room, I had three choices. I did pick the hunter role. And my profession is cooking."

With that declaration, my eyes gleam. An actual chef has come to the settlement. Now, the settlers won't have to eat the pre-prepared foodstuffs from the system. Going to the building menu, I see a small restaurant building available. I select it and place it down near Zul'Zara's hut.

- Small Restaurant Level 1 - A small restaurant for a chef. Tools not included. 5m X 3m 50 units of Tier 1 Wood, and 30 units of Tier 1 Stone. -

I asked Ritotorous to go and get the materials to start building. He nods and flies off.

Clapping my hands together, I approach Sylvasti and help her up. "With you just getting here, there are some questions I would like to ask you." Nodding her head in approval, I continue. "How long has it been since you last saw Zul'Zara?"

"It feels like longer, but it was only a minute." She is somewhat confused by the answer.

"Next, did anything happen when she left your side?"

"The only strange thing is I saw a blinding light, then she was gone. After a couple of seconds, a thing blocked my vision." Becoming more concerned about what is happening, she tries to press close to Zul'Zara.

"Did the thing blocking your vision look something like this?" I show her my status screen, heavily redacted so she can only see my name and class.

"Yes, but it didn't read like what I am now."

"Can you remember what the words-" I am suddenly interrupted by Zul'Zara, who is quite mad at me.

"What be with all the probing questions? I be thinking you only had one or two. Now you be scaring my Sylvasti." There is a slight growl in her voice as she places a protective arm around Sylvasti.

Laxreal steps up to my defense. "I think I know why he is asking all of these questions. If I may, Drake." I nod, seeing that my questioning is pointed, scaring the person transported seconds ago.

"Zul'Zara, what Drake is trying to find out is brilliant of him. It can not only put our minds at ease. But also those that we summon in the future." Zul'Zara starts staring at Laxreal, not backing down from protecting Sylvasti. "If we can figure out how long we have been gone in their eyes, we can figure out one of two things. Firstly, if they are put into stasis after the first person from their world has been summoned. Second, we can figure out if the first isn't the case. There might be a form of time dilation that makes our timelines faster than those we summon." Seeing this, Zul'Zara lessens the threatening glares at Laxreal and me while nodding.

"And if we be summoning more people, we be getting an accurate time of if either of those two options is correct?" She finishes before Laxreal can.

"Exactly," Laxreal responds.

While Laxreal finishes explaining this to Zul'Zara, it doesn't go beyond my notice that Uxa seems to have visibly relaxed hearing how long Sylvasti has perceived time.

Looking at everyone, I raise my hand. "I think it would be prudent to finish the questions." Hearing this, I receive another glare from Zul'Zara. "Not now. My suggestion is to summon someone from my planet. This will give us a better gauge as I have been here longer than anyone else."

Zul'Zara removes her arm from Sylvasti and gestures at the pile of scrolls. "Go on then, you be summoning a kinfolk. We will be greeting them." Saying so with a devilish grin.

I grab one of the Specific Population Summoning scrolls and target myself as the inhabitant. Soon, another portal opens wide in front of us. Its color is a deep purple. The energy levels aren't as high as the last one. They are still on the threshold of being overbearing.

As soon as the first sign of the person stepping through the portal occurs, I know exactly who I have summoned.