Master Of None

With so much changing in the surroundings it was simple to also see the changes that were occurring in the monsters. As in, they were starting to see the non violent peaceful monsters that are fire elemental planets and didn’t seem to interact unless they were being bothered.

”That’s a fire twig, it’s the same as the small insect monsters that pretend to be tree branches or smaller twigs in a tree, but this one is entirely fire affinity and mimics the swirling flame leaf trees here.” Walker had been constantly using the all around appraisal. Remey had taken up a position next to him in case he started to say anything about herbs.

This habit of constantly saying the all around appraisals out loud also drew in a few of the more research and recording focused individuals who had skills to do so. They had been able to help with whaling, but in the cathedral these healers were known for recording new healing magic discoveries. This was outside their normal work but still interesting and valuable.

As much as others also would say that this habit was poor since it would stop most people from focusing on their surroundings. It would have been a terrible habit that could risk their lives in a dangerous place.

For Walker, his mana sense and his kind worked differently. He’d been using the all around appraisal skill so much since he received it that everything he saw was appraised at this point. This habit was how he viewed the world, if not just a portion of how he viewed it now.

”When the small red anywhere seen, there were questions about how they looked identical to the carnivorous ants in the Sigil continent. Everyone believed that they were the same species but these were just smaller.

However, Walker pointed out that even though they were of the same species of monster, ants, these had developed to harvest small seeds of fire elemental plants as food. They were small in size to prevent predators from finding and eating them.

This was another proof that the environment completely dictates how races and monsters develop. The plants may change this but they also change depending on environment.

The fire mana here was plentiful which led to many more dangerous predators being born that ate the ants. This species never had the chance to grow beyond a certain size and instead developed to be smaller.

This wasn’t the only monster that did this but was one that could easily be discerned as one that required care to keep that way. If they made their way in to the world they would be a pest that could focus on decimating the fire elemental warms fields of all the seeds every season.

This was not the only species of monster with the potential but it spoke to how farmers alone would need to advance over and over to combat the integration of more fire elemental monsters in to the world over time.

It was a race of potential differences and actions each creating a new potential. Walker could think about it for his whole life and still not understand or grasp it all.

That was life though. These little monsters were still amazing in their own way and Walker could respect them.

”Those aren’t rocks, so what are they?” The space ahead was still full of trees and bushes, but Su was right, it looked like black rocks were joining the scenery.

’Flame crawling coal

After being introduced to fire mana over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, this coal had entirely lost its earthen properties and even forms and exists within the fire elemental planes.

Certain races must consume it to maintain their form and grow properly. The flame crawling coal is also known to grow in singular directions making it very hard to mine and procure since it might span for long distances in to dangerous territories…’

There was more information about what the flame crawling coal can be used for. Armor, alchemy, and even some magic spells required it which was something interesting to Walker and those who listened.

What Su focused on when she received her answer though was more important and what everyone had to focus on.

”This must be what the coal humans, or coal people eat and need to thrive. If we harvest some of these on our way we might be able to make a good first impression.” Su was thinking about the entire city they were going to. If it had all these coal people, then they would have established cultures.

Being able to greet them with something that they needed to consume to be healthy would be an amazing first step in making bonds with them. This could be an easy start to everything they have planned and need to work on.

The thing was, some of the crawling flame coal didn’t appear to be useful. Walker pointed out some bits that had orange coloration which was fire mana built up becoming fire elemental crystals. They weren’t formed enough to be useful but formed just enough that the fire crawling coal was useless to be used for what they needed.

However, it showed why there was value in the fire crawling coal. While many many many years ago it was an earth material, it was now a fire material. It can help grow races and monster species making it important to them. If it’s contaminated or not proper in any way, then it has no value to them.

Meaning the pure pieces that Walker was pointing out to be mined here and there were all that much more valuable. If they brought the wrong type they would potentially instigate hatred or disinterest in their venture here in the first place.

Some of the flame swallowing turtles stopped and swallowed small pieces. They seemed to find benefits in the flame swallowing coal which was a clear example of what other value it had. They were their guides and were more than deserving of some benefits like this.

It was somewhat odd to see the squads lining flame crawling coal rather than marching perfectly in formations. Everyone had been very strict and professional until now where they looked out of place and generally odd.

’Flame cry cricket

This small cricket burrows in to flame crawling coal and lives inside. It uses small puffs of flames to make small cries that attract more of its kind.

They are peaceful and often like to follow larger monsters around. Because of this they are thought of pets to many monsters and races and will rarely be eaten.

They have little use when it comes to materials, alchemy, and other forms of crafting. However, they are ideal for farming in the fire elemental planes since they will even burrow in to rocks that come from the earth elemental plane when the fire elemental plane and earth elemental plane collide causing parts of one another to spill in to the other….’

The small cricket caught Walker’s attention and he made note of the fee paying attention and following everyone since they started mining.

Most who noticed them quickly ignored them since Walker hadn’t warned them. Onyx even had a few he had managed to guide in to Midnight’s back who in turn was acting like she had a collection. The odd change really didn’t suit the dangerous fire elemental plane which everyone felt they would struggle in every single second.

While they hadn’t been given a lot of focused protection, the guides and the area were more peaceful than what he and everyone expected. The true fire sage and the king of fire would surely have a hand in the continued peace of this area and all other fire elemental areas. While some were surely filled with more wild and brutal truths, this one might be more of what they foster normally.

”I think when we saw the fire elemental plane before, we were ignorant. We were kept to places where some chaos and fighting for survival happened and kept away from the more well managed areas of peace like this. It’s more stable than the other places as well.”

”Well, we were strangers from the world that was cut off plenty of years ago. What would you have thought if strange beings walked through a portal in to your lands?” Gil shrugged as Walker had spoken right to him.

”I would have made everyone act on the defensive right away.” With Su responding too, Walker couldn’t agree more.

”I’m just amazed by it. I think we will get along with everything here much better than I expected and that if the peaceful areas get closer to the world…” he trailed off while everyone around him saw what he imagined clearly in their own minds.

For now, though, they mined a decent bit of pure flame crawling coal before following the fire swallowing turtle in to a more open expanse of flaming grasses and currents of fire mana.

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