The Grand Weave

"So, you got adopted by a demon god?" Sam asked.

"Pretty much. Not sure what it means. I don't think it's anything horrible; if anything, it should be a pretty good thing. Never hurts to have someone powerful in your corner," I replied.

"Well, I hope you know you definitely won in the looks department. You look like an elf, just an elf with black nails, horns, and silver hair. Oh, and your eyes are kinda creepy but cool. All black, with no pupils, just faintly glowing pink orbs. I'd say killer contacts, but I know they're real."

"Uggggh, I became a demonic pretty boy, and you turned into a blue she-hulk. I hope I'm considered good-looking in this world," I complained light-heartedly.

She paused for a bit, staring into the fire as she thought about everything I said.

"Hey Cy, did you notice something weird when you were in the void?" she asked carefully.

Her question made me raise my eyebrows. "If you're talking besides the whole weirdness of the gods and us being disembodied souls, then no. I don't think there was anything too weird outside of that," I said sarcastically.

"From what you described, it seems you and I experienced it. Don't you think it's weird how we acted during all that? Looking back on it now, the lack of fear is strange. It wasn't just a lack of fear but how cavalier we acted about the situation. Even if you usually just roll with whatever's happening, there's no way we would be so nonchalant about a mind squid just showing up. Especially not while trapped with nothing but our thoughts. I mean, we weren't harmed or anything. But still..."

I frowned. I remembered everything clearly, but it did seem strange the longer I thought about it.

"I… you're right. It does seem strange. I don't know if I'd have changed my mind about accepting the deal, but yeah, that's concerning. A demon and a squid god really should have made me pause and think things through much more carefully,"

"I guess it doesn't matter much right now. You could probably ask Cal when he can talk to you again. Honestly, he sounded way better than Zuldraea. The lady just came in, shoved things into Eraztis' hands, and then left. If adoption is on the table, I'm picking someone else."

"Yeah, I got lucky, I suppose. Which, speaking of, what goodies did you get from all this?"

She didn't reply. Instead, I suddenly got a blip in the corner of my vision again. Mentally selecting it, her status popped out.

STATUS

Name: Samantha

Race: Reborn (Oni)

Age: ??

Tier: 0

Active Skills:

(T:0 R:0) Tidal Fist

(T:0 R:0) Racial Skill: Dimensional Storage

Passive Skills:

Perks:

Legacy of the Ocean's Hammer

Wave Rider

Elemental Heritage

The first thing to unpack was her race. It might explain the horn and her new muscles, yet I only knew that it was some kind of Japanese demon. Her muscles might be intimidating, but she didn't seem too demonic. Then again, I didn't even know if Earth's lore meant anything in this world.

Her dimensional storage didn't have a modifier after it, so that was something special to me.

Her legacy and other perks point towards something water-based. It was good to know at least one of us seemed to get some sort of attack skill. I'd hate for us to die before we even got to the settlement Cal told me about.

"Hey, any idea what your legacy does?" I asked her.

Another blip followed, and I got the description of her skill and perks.

Legacy of the Ocean's Hammer:

Your might is like a tidal wave. Through your soul runs the natural force of the ocean. The world's waters may provide many things and are seen as a beauty to most. However, when angered, the force brought to bear is enough to drown entire civilizations. Raise your fist, young warrior, and remind those who stand against you why they, too, must fear you.

All skills will evolve to complement the warrior of the seas.

Elemental Heritage

This is a racial perk that Oni inherit.

All Oni have at least one elemental type that they are naturally more attuned to. Your body has adapted to the elemental affinity of water.

Wave Rider

Undisturbed by the chaotic tide, you command respect and grace from the water below.

When traversing open water, you are immune to nausea and dizziness. Your steps are steady, and your legs firm.

Tidal Fist:

Wrap your fist in the power of a tidal current.

Low Stamina Cost, Low Mana Cost

"So, what yah think? Pretty cool, right?" Sam asked as I finished reading the descriptions.

"Yeah, it sounds pretty awesome. I'm not going to go and find that you became some sort of pirate queen a few years down the line, am I?" I asked jokingly.

"Ooooh, that sounds like a pretty fun idea. Maybe that's the backup plan," she grinned. Then she paused before grabbing the treebranch by her side. "I think I prefer using big bonk weapons to swords, though."

"Swords are impractical anyway, right? Or at least that's you've told me a few hundred times," I said, shrugging.

"Eh, it'll make me more unique. Now, come on! I showed you mine. Now show me yours," she said while wiggling her eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes. "I haven't even got a chance to look at the descriptions yet. Give me a second,"

It took a thought and the screen popped into view. Even though it looked game-like, I continued to marvel at how awesome it all was. A bit of focus pulled up my status and the descriptions flashed into view.

Legacy of the Obsidian Crown:

Heavy is the crown that rests upon your head. Your soul carries the endless strength required to bear the weight of others. While most would wear a symbol of gilded pride, yours is the visage of sharpened glass. They are forced to treat you with a healthy dose of fear and respect, for your legion is a crushing power that suffers no other. Claim your throne, young Lord. Do not bow to those weaker than you.

All skills will evolve to complement the Lord of spirits.

Scion of Calstrax:

You've become the adopted heir of the god Calstrax. With his blood flowing through your veins, you share some of his powers.

You have minor regeneration to most wounds.

You have minor resistance to most common elements.

You have a higher-than-average mana pool.

Demonic Blood

This is a racial perk that all demons share.

All Demons have the ability to get stronger by consuming a more powerful demon's blood. The higher the tier, the greater the strength of the benefits.

Summon Familiar: Verdant Healer: (N/A) (Currently no spirit contracted)

Summon a bonded familiar. The familiar is a nature-based healer.

Summons can remain inside the body in a passive state. While active, they reserve an amount of your mana pool.

All Summons have their own mana pool and regeneration but may use their summoner's pool when they are out.

Racial Skill: Dimensional Storage: Star Whelp

This is a racial skill given to all Reborns.

Instead of a portal, you summon a Star Whelp that acts as your personal dimensional storage.

For now, the size is limited to a medium-sized room. May not store anything that is alive.

All objects placed inside the storage will be put into stasis and will come out in the exact state they were put in.

After reading through everything, I shared my status with Sam. There was just the crackle of the fire for a long while as she read. I stoked the flames and waited.

Apparently, when reading your status, you look like you're staring off into nothing.

Her eyes slowly regained focus and she shook her head.

"Wow. Not gonna lie. Your legacy sounds kinda edgy. I mean, Ocean's warrior just sounds cool, but a spirit lord seems a tad much. Hmmm…. If all your skills shift into summons, then you could have a whole plethora of different element types. Your versatility would be off the charts. I'm apparently stuck with water and punching things so far, not complaining, but I seem to have my niche," she said.

"That's actually a great idea. Just get different familiars, so I'll never be screwed in a scenario. Do you think I can get myself something that'll serve as a mount? Though thinking about how our Legacies work, does that mean you can't use a fire-based skill stone? Or do you think it'll shift it into something like boiling water? If anything, you could, at the very least, find a good skill for making nice hot baths. Actually, scratch that. We are definitely getting you a hot bath skill," I teased.

All the novels and stories try to paint being an adventurer as some grand, awesome thing. In reality, they never mention all the less-than-amazing details. Being reborn in a world without toilet paper honestly sounded like a nightmarish situation. And spending days or weeks on the road means you would struggle to find a way to bathe regularly.

Nobody thinks about how medieval towns stunk.

Though, that's only if we're actually in a pseudo-medieval fantasy world. Maybe everything is high-tech and modern?

She just shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, I guess we will figure it all out eventually, and boiling water sounds dangerous as fuck. So I won't complain if I get it as a skill. Another thing, how come your summon said no contracted spirit? Do we have to go hunt a spirit for you to beat into submission? Unfortunately, I don't think we have any pokeballs."

Being stuck in her room most hours of the day, reading and gaming were some of the hobbies we equally shared. It was nice to nerd out and find some grounding to fall back on. And while Sam's new body looked stoic and tough, I could see the edges of worry on her face.

Blue Sam or normal Sam, she kept the same facial cues.

I leaned into her and nudged her sidde. "Haha, very funny. At least, I hope that's not something I need to do. Cal told me I should wait till I had you watching over me when I use my skill. Might be dangerous. Think you can help me with that right now?"

"Yeah, sure, I haven't seen any wildlife so far, and if anything, I'm not afraid to use my big stick. Go do your thing. I'll protect your squishy arse," she teased.

I gave her the finger as I prepared myself. I wasn't sure what would happen, so I moved further away from the fire and sat down with my legs crossed. No reason to waste time. I activated my skill, and then my world turned black.

My conciousness fought to stay grounded but it was impossibly slippery. It was as close to the feeling of falling asleep and desperately jerking your body in attempt to stay sitting. But the feeling grew and lost all sensation before I slipped away.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in a forest. Everything looked weird, like nothing was in focus, and more colors than green surrounded me.

Looking down, I found a circle a few meters wide, closing me in. The world was strangely mute, even though I could see the trees rustling with a faint wind. Nothing happened as I kept staring at the surreal landscape.

I sat up and stared at the edges of the circle. Everything about the circle screamed in my guts that trying to move beyond its lines would be dangerous.

Alright, focus Cyrus. What did Cal tell you to do?

Cal told me to channel my mana and go with what felt right. Lacking any other ideas, I decided to start with just that. I closed my eyes and tried to remember what I felt when I used my dimensional storage.

Soon, the same cooling effect ran through me, and my mana flowed. I opened my eyes to find the circle around me glowing a faint green. The glow was so dim I could barely see it.

Closing my eyes again, I pushed even more into the ground. Cool transitioned into cold winds until small waves were hitting my veins. It clawed at my sides and took what little warmth my blood could conjure before even that froze over.

On shaky breaths, the flow stuttered and I eased the flood of the frigid waters.

I could barely keep myself standing. Exhausted, I kept my eyes closed while panting and shivering. Minutes passed and the feeling didn't fade. Slowly, I looked up and jumped in fright at what I saw.

The first thing I noticed was the circle. It was almost painfully bright. Beyond the glow, I also saw a ring of vibrant flowers and plants growing next to the outer edge. Gone was the blurry fogscape, and in its place stood crystal clear glass.

Those things, however, were almost forgotten when I stared at all the creatures surrounding me.

I saw thirteen creatures in all. Most seemed to be an animal of some type, while there were four humanoid-looking monsters spread throughout. Notably, there were three figures that loomed above the rest.

There was a giant wolf who made of roots with amber eyes that seeoed glistening sap down its snout. He was about as tall as a minibus.

The other two were an emerald-furred gorilla of the same size and what looked like a treant.

The giant root wolf howled into the air, silencing all the other creatures. The treant nodded to the great wolf while stepping forward.

A deep, gravelly voice rang out. "Young Lord, we are the three guardians of this forest. These little ones have heard your call and have come to answer. What is it that you seek?"

I wasn't sure how to properly address the creatures before me, so I bowed. I must have done something right because the gorilla gave me an approving nod.

As I opened my mouth to speak, instinct guided my thoughts and knowledge clicked into place. I cleared my throat and spoke as calmly as possible.

"Greetings, great protectors of the forest. I have come to make a contract with a spirit. I am looking for a Verdant Healer."

The treant turned towards the smaller spirits next to it before speaking again.

"Those who do not wish to walk the healer's path stand beside Guldalas. If you still seek to enter a contract, step forward," he commanded.

I was a little disappointed when all but three walked away and stood next to the gorilla. My heart dropped a little more when the third, a small grass-coloured owl, also stepped back. The two that remained were what looked like a fairy, except her skin was a pale green. She had two purple orbs as eyes. And on her back was a set of beautiful butterfly wings.

The other spirit was what looked like a living rose. There were two black eyes just below the petals, but other than those humanoid features, it looked like a flower. It stood on two thorn-covered vines.

"Two younglings remain, young Lord. Now, choose who you wish to contract with," he thundered.

I wasn't sure what exactly I was looking for, but Cal told me to do what felt right. I tried to see if I felt more inclined towards one of the others, yet I didn't feel anything different even after flaring the dregs of what was left of my mana.

Asking which one the treant thought was better seemed rude, and I felt I would anger the great protectors. Once again, I tried to see if my mana would help me.

Channeling it, I tried to searched for the strange feeling from before; when the knowledge slid into place.

Seconds passed, nothing changed as I used my mana, at least at first. A slight tugging sensation pulled my focus. It was so faint I would have thought I was just playing tricks on myself, but the feeling persisted.

I walked towards the fairy and stopped at the edge of the circle. I looked up at the treant to see if he had any thoughts about my choice. The tree didn't move or make a sound and instead seemed to be waiting for me to voice my choice out loud.

"I would like to make a contract with this spirit," I said.

The living flower stepped back towards Guldalas, leaving me with just the tiny fairy. The treant raised a hand and grew a small splinter the length of my pinky. He tossed it towards me before he spoke once more.

"Use the splinter to prick your finger and share your blood with this small one. You must give this spirit a name, for she is too young to have one. Your blood will complete the contract and forge a binding of your souls," he instructed.

I chose not to hesitate and did as he said. I winced at the small poke and squeezed a drop of blood out. Lifting my hand towards the very edge of the circle, my finger passed the line, just barely enough for the small fairy to touch it. She floated up and placed her dainty hand on mine. She couldn't have been more than ten inches tall. The blood flowed into her as she stood still.

I realized that she was probably waiting for me to name her to complete the contract. I said the first word that came to my head, and it felt right.

"I name you Áine."

Just as I finished uttering her new name, I could feel a sudden weight on my soul. I didn't know how I knew, but I could tell that it was my new connection with Áine. The circle flashed a blinding light before I once more felt myself fading to black.

Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself lying on the floor. The fire curled higher than before. I took in my surroundings and saw night outside the cave's entrance.

I sat up slowly and cringed as my muscles stiffly responded.

"Finally awake from your sudden power nap, huh," came Sam's voice from behind me.

"Bleh, I miss my bed already. It seems like I was out for a good while." I replied.

"You were gone for four hours and twenty-seven minutes."

"Wait, how do you know exactly how long I was gone?" I asked in confusion.

"Query your system about the time. This thing is pretty cool. It seems that we still work off a twenty four-hour day. If we're lucky, the seven days a week will still be valid as well," she said.

"What are the odds of that?"

"No idea, but I'm not complaining."

I thought time to myself while bringing up my system menu. Out popped a small number counter to my top right. It was apparently seven in the evening.

"Cool," I said nonchalantly.

"So, spill the beans. Did you manage to get a spirit or something?" she asked excitedly.

I smiled at her and gave her a thumbs-up. Channeling my mana, I activated my skill. "Meet Áine, my new familiar."

Unlike when I summoned the dragonling, the motes that appeared were shades of green that ranged from grass to emerald. As the fairy formed, she spun and hovered midair her wings flapping lazily that didn't match with how she stood afloat.

Sam slowly approached the flying spirit and gave a slight bow. "You look adorable, and your wings are beautiful."

Áine gave a small twirl before floating up and giving Sam's nose a gentle boop. I could see Sam gushing at the cuteness. Áine then floated towards me before, also giving my nose a boop, and then disappeared back into my chest.

After audibly making an aww sound, Sam flopped to the ground. "Well, that was extremely cute. And she isn't screaming at you to listen! so what were you doing during your impromptu coma?"

I made my way towards the fire and sat down again. Then, I told Sam everything. She thought the wolf sounded cool and was curious that big protector spirits were shepherding smaller ones.

"It seems you made a good choice, and besides, a mobile flying healer sounds better than a ground-locked one. I wonder if you have to do the same thing every time you get a new summoning skill."

"I'm gonna assume so. I'm glad Cal gave me a heads-up on what to do. Does the amount of mana I used correlate with who and what shows up? In the future, when I'm stronger, I can get something even bigger and more powerful."

"That'd be nice. I mean, I'm all for you getting more spirits to support me. After all, I'll need my own pocket healer since I'm obviously the muscles of the group."

She gave me a shit-eating grin as she finished saying 'pocket healer.'

"Yeah, yeah. I'll keep you alive. If you D.P.S. like you do in games, I'm afraid you simply won't survive a single fight without me," I teased back.

She stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry. I took up watch for the rest of the night so Sam could get some sleep. Hopefully, in the morning, we could finally start progressing towards civilization.

Another, smaller part of me scratched its way into my chest. The excitement, the wonder. Magic was real, and I couldn't wait to see what it could do.