The Fool's Freedom

Alan relented. Zirida had given an oath and that was as straightforward as things got in the System world. And she had stopped him from getting his ass kicked. While Alan was ready for a scrap, he was unsure how he would fare against someone who had grown up with the System.

“It’s a curse I recently acquired. It lets me mark creatures and then drain their life force to supplement mine.”

“Similar to one of my skills. The God of Blood is also known as the Lifegiver, but as He can give, so can He take. I don’t sense a divine connection in you though. No patron either.”

“Hold up. Does the order of Salvation serve a Blood God? Really?”

“The Order is centered around healing and smiting down the forces deemed dangerous to the helpless inhabitants of the universe. What each member understands or what God they follow is up to them. To a limit.”

That sounded quite interesting but then again Alan highly doubted the hundreds of scars covering her body were her own choice. There was no way he would fully trust anyone meshing with Gods. He hadn’t liked the idea of them back on Earth, and he certainly didn’t enjoy what he had seen so far, even if it was caused by something foreign and evil.

He wondered what Turtle was up to. The man had mentioned that a God was whispering in his ear. Hopefully, it was not another Emerson situation.

“Can you use it on me?” she asked.

Alan did a double take, even if he was face-to-face with the woman and the words had rang clear in his ears.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Can you use your curse on me?”

Yep. Crazy.

“Why the f—I mean, why would you want that?” He asked and took a breath. Hopefully, she didn’t suffer from anger problems too.

“I can learn the skill if I become a target for it and it is indeed blood magic or derivative. Don’t worry. You cannot kill me.”

Alan wasn’t sure he understood her correctly. Did she really want to learn his skill by having him use it on her and drain her life force? There was one major issue with that.

What’s in it for me? Alan thought for a few seconds before answering. He chose his words carefully.

“I am not opposed to your request, but I cannot simply cast it without preparation. And, I don’t feel like teaching you one of my most important skills is fair without asking for anything in return.”

To his relief, Zirida nodded. “Of course. I can offer much, and so can the blood running through my veins. We will talk in the Outpost.”

“Great. We have a deal.” Alan smiled.

“This is good for you. She is strong and connecting with someone like that is the smart thing to do. For once you are not acting completely stupid.” Xil’s voice suddenly sounded in Alan’s mind. He almost cursed out loud. The blood barrier that had separated them from the rest of the group was already gone and Zirida was walking away.

“I thought you don’t want to talk?”

“Yeah, but none of them can sense me. While that girl has some divinity in her, she is still human, or a variant.”

Alan followed Zirida after their conversation was over. The thunderous sounds coming from outside the cave and echoing through the mountain chains never stopped. Alan was sure he heard a roar that sounded unlike anything he had ever heard before at one point. He kind of wanted to see a dragon, but also feared that it would be the last thing he ever saw if he got the opportunity. He was still unsure what the tiers were, but he was sure that he was at the bottom. For now.

“Well, that’s helpful. Have you noticed anything weird?” Alan asked.

“The one with the runes is silent, but he listens a lot and hears more. There are many strange magics active on him.”

Alan almost nodded but stopped himself. “Yes, the flow of mana around him is weird. It is hard to describe.”

“From what I know from… somewhere… rune magic is a very complicated school and functions in ways few can understand. While it has a lot in common with enchanting and the way power is given to items, fundamentally it is quite different. You should be wary of him, even if he is not the strongest. The two girls are strange as well. That metal-controlling one, the first one you met, she is a shell, or her protections go beyond my observation skills. I don’t know what her deal is, but I am sure of it. The other one, the one you just spoke to, is the most trustworthy of them all. Blood is a path of life and honor, not treachery, despite its sinister and destructive skills. She looks very dedicated to it. [Red Clerics] are a thing of legend in the demon world and no one wants to fuck with them. Blood skills and magic are binding and immensely powerful, and those who ignore that can only fall.”

Like the fools in the dungeon. Alan thought. He still had that to deal with someday.

“The lizard?”

“I don’t know anything about his race, but he is crafty. His anger and arrogance are only a surface mask. I am quite sure he knew what the consequences would be both times he attacked, but he was testing his companions. He doesn’t necessarily give a flying fuck about you. I mean, why would he? You are just a tiny little thing that has popped up on their path. Do you think there are not thousands of outlanders running around everywhere? Please.”

Huh. Alan looked around. Everyone seemed to be concentrating on something different. Solorim and Kalyntha were staring out of the cave's opening, while Riasko was still sitting next to the wall. His eyes would jump around from time to time then he would close them, only to do the same again. Now that Xil had mentioned it he did look crafty. Was it all an act? For what reason?

Alan felt himself grow nervous. Schemes were not his thing and falling into the middle of one shortly after he had been whisked to an unknown weird world with a fucking dragon flying overhead.

“You seem more aware than before,” Alan noted. It was true, the demon had never analyzed situations like that before. He generally gave a mixture of good or bad advice, depending on the situation. If Alan listened to Xil he would just kill everyone he met.

“The hole in my prison allows me freedom. I find myself very capable of gathering information, and there is little else I can do. If you’re not going to man up and start acting like one fit for my friendship, I might as well try to keep you alive until I can get out and kill you myself.”

“Ah, I’m glad you haven’t gotten attached. I was worried.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

The sound of tearing space echoed just above them and the cave shook, along with the scenery Alan could see from his position. A distant mountain top straight up vanished as a spatial hole opened in its place.

“Does this happen often?” he asked no one in particular.

There was a pause before the answer came from a surprising source—Riasko.

“No. I’ve been here for a month and have never seen anything like that. Maybe it has something to do with an honorless outlander sneaking around.”

Alan smiled. “Hm, sounds reasonable. I seem to draw the ire of insecure little lizards for some reason.”

“Ha!”

Riasko’s eyes became wider and he started getting up. “You little—”

Zirida stepped closer and Riasko instantly deflated, opting to glare at Alan instead.

“The dragon rarely gets riled up like this. Something is not right, but it will not harm the outpost or us intentionally. After all, the whole reason we are stabilizing this fractal is so it can leave.”

“Wait, so you are telling me everyone is warring with the parasites and whatever other manner of horrors lurk in this place so the dragon can leave? No resources, no treasures?”

Zirida looked at him calmly and answered, while Riasko smirked. “The powers that be reward everyone contributing to the cause. It is a task given by the Dragon Throne. As for the fractal… it does contain some natural treasures and once one gets used to the parasites they are a good source of levels. Especially for those with weaker classes.”

“The void cores are useful too. They trade well.” Kalyntha added from the entrance of the cave with a smile.

“I see. What can I get for two?” Alan asked.

“What maturity?” It was Solorim who had asked the question and Alan shrugged. He decided there was no use in hiding his inventory skill so he took out the two from his bag.

Solorim stepped closer. His eyes were clear and brown, which Alan found surprisingly comforting. All the weird colors and magic were getting a bit much, despite his experience in the Sanctuary and before that.

“Mid-grade,” Solorim said. “Permanent language rune. For them.”

“What?”

“He is saying he will make the rune that lets you understand most languages in the Realm if you give them to him. It’s a steal, I would take it,” Kalyntha said.

That sounded fishy.

“Didn’t you tell me it would be way more expensive in the outpost? Why would he do that?”

“Practice. Need for skills. My method differs.” Solorim answered. Couldn’t he use more words? What was with everyone thinking this was some competition to be more and more mysterious and fucking unique.

“He won’t cheat you,” Zirida added, which made Alan lean toward agreeing.

“Fine,” he finally relented. It was only two cores and he planned on farming way more before leaving the place, so even if he got cheated for some reason it was not a huge loss.

Solorim nodded and knelt in front of Alan. There was a flash as strange implements appeared one by one in front of him. A book, a wooden tool shaped almost like a sharp pen, silver dust mixed with strange blue flakes, and an engraved pestle and mortar.

Alan watched carefully, and he asked the demon to do the same as Solorim worked in the ensuing silence. He put some of the dust in the mortar and started grounding down. Light came off from the engravings of both the pestle and the mortar and Alan watched in fascination as the mana twisted and danced and changed in impossible ways. It was almost a mesmerizing process. Soon the silvery dust was a dark thick liquid similar to ink.

Solorim took out a plaque like the one he had used for his movement skill, only blank. He dipped the wooden pen into it and opened the book. It took him just a moment to find the page he was looking for before he consulted it, closed his eyes muttered something, then started drawing.

“Good [Rune Mages] draw on skin. Give traits. I draw on stone. Transfer to skin. Not a trait. Enhancement. Still [Apprentice],” he explained. Alan nodded, still mesmerized by the process. While it was not enchanting, he was sure Mr. Muge would lose his mind if he saw this.

A roar that came somewhere far above made Alan almost jump in place. He looked toward the lizardman; Riasko looked oddly nervous. Thankfully the two women were calm as it could be, although Alan wasn’t sure if they would panic even if the world came crashing down. Kalyntha giggled.

Solorim didn’t even flinch as he drew the rune on the plaque. The wooden pen seemed to chip away at the stone making it evaporate, while at the same time replacing it with the ink. Soon, it was done. Alan wasn’t sure how much time had passed, since the process had taken all of his concentration.

Solorim tilted the plaque toward him and showed him a complicated symbol of flowing lines and edges.

“Now, neck. Won’t hurt. Much.” Solorim said.

Alan once again grew nervous but decided to go for it. If they wanted him dead, he would already be a splatter of blood that wouldn’t even stand out on the red rocks.

He sat down and tilted his head. Solorim was careful as he took out a new implement that looked like a simple wooden branch. He tapped the plaque a few times and the symbol jumped up from it and hovered in the air.

“Permanent and temporary. Similar. Very different.” Solorim spoke. His explanations were lacking but Alan wasn’t going to complain.

Everyone seemed to focus on the glowing rune that stole all the light from the already dark cave.

Solorim touched it carefully, making it spin. His gloves were glowing too. After examining it one last time he carefully pushed it with the stick, while holding it with one hand. It grew smaller and smaller until it was the size of a fingernail as it touched behind Alan’s ear.

There was a pause and he felt something change. The System did too.

You have successfully enhanced your body with Rune: Myriad Tongues.

That had gone well.

Alan smiled and offered his hand with the two cores. “Thanks, it worked. That would be very useful if I keep finding myself in weird places.”

Solomir took the cores and put them away along with all of his other implements.

“My pleasure. Thank you. Good practice.”

Solorim simply left. Alan wondered if the rune was visible on his neck now, but decided to meditate instead. It had done wonders for him in the dungeon, and he had ignored it for a while. The next thirty minutes were spent in silence.

Alan was unsure why there was a need to hide if they were sure the dragon was harmless. Would a cave protect them from fragmenting space?

A loud sound interrupted his question. Alan flew forward and hit the rock wall, tasting blood. The wall of the cavern behind him had exploded. [Monochrome Armor] quickly enveloped him and he almost exhaled in pleasure as he reached for the curse at the same time. Finally, he was one with the shadows. Why had he waited for so long?

Solomir stood up next to Alan, various runes making him glow with a pale light. The lizardman was all right too, while Zirida was holding a sword that seemed to be made of her own flowing blood. The stones around her were dust.

There was only a large hole where the wall had been, revealing a deep chasm. A wooden monster similar to the one Alan had watched fight the big parasite was there.

Something like a humanoid doll sat upon it. Featureless and creepy. But that was not what terrified Alan.

Three of the limbs of the creature were stabbing through the already lifeless body of Kalyntha. There was an odd lack of blood, even as the limbs tore apart her corpse.

Riasko was the first to run.