Chaotic Craftsman Worships The Cube

The next couple hours of flying were relatively peaceful, at least for himself. He tweaked and modified the enchantments as he went, getting them to the perfect balance of both comfortable for the user while still accomplishing their designed task, ending up with a final product just a little better than it started, with the main change being the mind split it caused became a bit more bearable for those feeling its effects, even if he couldn’t keep himself from thinking that two of his test subjects were just being unreasonably whiny by the end, especially compared to the motivation Sachel gave him when they finally reached the gate.

”Whenever you get back, is this something I could afford if I wanted to buy one?” She asked, not seeing her companions’ surprised looks at wanting something they couldn’t help but find extremely unpleasant, even after the improvements to it. ”I feel like I just learned more in the last few hours than I have after weeks of reading in the past.”

Ben put a hand on her shoulder, a warm yet serious look in his eyes when he spoke.

”Sachel, I just want you to know that stuff like this is why you’re my favourite in your party. By a large margin.”

”Um, thanks?”

”You can keep the one you’re wearing, free of charge. I only need two anyway so since the others don’t seem like they’re going to want them you’re good. Hope it helps you with your practice.”

While the material cost for it might have been expensive for a normal person, compared to other things he’d make it really wasn’t that much, incorporating just a bit of mythril for powering the relatively mana-light enchantment placed upon it. For him, it was nothing hard to give up, especially considering who he was giving it to.

Probably for the best to let Myriad’s oracle have something that will help her learn new spells and ideally live a little longer depending on how the next wave ends up. Hell, it might be a good idea to send them to all of his believers. He only has a few hundred still, right? Nothing wrong with giving them a tool that can help their growth a bit.

Excuse you, you’re a god. Tell them to wear them if they’re ever in a learning environment and explain how it will help them in the long run. Hell, sprinkle in a bit about how you’d like them too because you just want the best for them and you’re worried given the troubling times. If I’m going to go out of my way to try and help these guys that’s literally the least you could do.

Are you kidding me? Of course it does, it’s integral to the design. Actually, you’re totally right about it being useful to the world as a whole too. Screw it. Myriad, give me the quest. I’ll talk to Killi later and donate a bunch of these in your name for the library to use. If I make a couple hundred I should be able to help a bunch of mages learn new spells which helps the world as a whole, right?

Of course. He laughed to himself. Thera’s flying through this one and it’s not like I’m going to take it for the easy bit of experience on the next one, right?

Hey, careful what you’re saying. I still remember you accidentally giving me the maniac title.

Before he could retort, they ended up at their destination and the city where the meeting would be held to see where the world wanted them to fight. They’d arrived at warrior’s tower.

It was a place he didn’t have too much interest in, at least not compared to the magic towers or craftsman’s tower before the city had fallen to ruins, for the simple fact that there wasn’t much there to stroke his interest. While he had some curiosity about the tower that gave the place its name stretching into the sky, he doubted he’d be seeing any design choices on the enchantments that powered it that he wouldn’t be seeing on any of the others.

But I guess the architecture is interesting at least.

Unlike other places where people would live, warrior’s tower was a city built from the ground up for a single purpose; for people to come and train to fight. Everywhere he looked, Ben was seeing buildings and rings dedicated to letting people hone their combat skills, with the only shops in sight being ones that sold either equipment or potions.

More eye-catching than any of that though was what sat near the heart of the city, right beside the tower that gave it its name. A giant stone coliseum was there, ready to host any extravagant event the city might hold, or in their case, the meeting spot to learn where they’d be ending up.

With their destination in sight, even from afar, they first found the embassy for Anailia to drop the cart off before walking the streets, aiming for that landmark as everyone took in the sights that came with a new place, with Ben using the location as a chance to make new skill rings.

With a crowded city like that, there was always a good chance he’d find a handful of rare ones he didn’t already have in his library and he had no issue taking them as he reached out with deep connection, happy to see just what was on offer.

Oh sweet, someone with a tier-one analysis! Or at least it would be sweet if I didn’t have Verbum to abuse now. Still, might as well grab a copy in case there’s anything I can do with it. And other than that… oh. Oh crap.

”Thera, come with me. The rest of you just wait here for a bit, would you?”

He didn’t give them time to respond, instead taking his girlfriend’s hand and dragging her off, turning around to follow another person walking the streets.

An unassuming man of some mix of races he couldn’t begin to guess at, it was someone who would never have caught his eye if it weren’t for the murmurs going through his head when Ben had connected to him and after using his power to dig through his memories to confirm it wasn’t just a silly thought he had no choice but to act in the face of what he was seeing. The man had someone locked in their basement.

Myriad Myriad Myriad Myriad Myriad Myriad Myriad Myriad. Answer me. Code red. I’m about to do something rash and I need you around to help out.

I’m currently following a guy who kidnapped someone and from the looks of it intends to use them as ingredients for potions. Do me a favour and get any guards or templars around to capture him after I flee the scene.

Thanks, you’re the best. He said, leaving his god to process what he’d heard as he connected to Thera to discreetly pass on a different message. Hey, I need you to trust me and trap that guy in something thick enough that any passersby probably won’t be able to help him escape. And preferably do it discreetly so we can just slip away after. I know this probably sounds crazy but see the thing is-

He didn’t get the chance to try and explain, she was already casting her spell before he could finish and he watched as the ground rose up around the man, gently pushing others away as the kidnapper was left encased in walls that were meters thick, blocking a good portion of the street in order to keep him trapped.

And that’s why you’re the best. Okay, and are you still listening, Myriad? I’ll give you the guy’s address so send someone to help there too please and I’ll go back to deal with my day.

There was a group gathering to see what happened but as far as he was concerned it wasn’t remotely his problem so he and Thera slipped away from the growing crowd, back to their companions who were all well aware of whose fault that was.