Dave had already been there, he remembered, of course he did. It hadn't even been four days; yes—four very intense days, but he could never forget that weird world made of dark colors, of clouds that rotated, rippled, then like supercharged galaxies, exploded into an unidentifiable amount of energy particles.
He could not feel the Source in that state, but he knew he had messages that needed to be read, just as he knew that his arm hurt like a buttcheek on a stick. But there were worse things, like seeing Erin's body—currently floating near him—without a leg, an arm, and with her beautiful hair half burnt to a crisp—he felt like crap seeing her like that.
But what had really happened? Dave couldn't really parse it, everything had happened much too fast, and the trip through the short world was happening just as fast. In his hyper-focused state, the trip seemed to last for several seconds. Instead, it barely lasted two.
Then the disappearing light of a descending twilight took the weird world made of over-the-top clouds' place, and Erin, Wushu—still grappling David like a little masked wrestler—and the Deviant fell on the ground, tumbling in the dirt—regular old dirt.
David's arm hurt, really hurt when Wushu finally detached from him to take to the air. He, just like David himself, was crazed at that moment. He started scouting the place, producing whining sounds that Dave had not heard before.
Dave himself brought his arm to his belly to hold it tight, but then he recalled Erin's situation.
She lay a couple of meters behind him, covered in dry dirt just like him.
David's first reaction was to check on her. He placed his finger under her small nose but couldn't hear any air coming out of it.
But maybe Fey didn't breathe? He had no idea. He didn't study alien biology; bloody hell, he had barely studied biology.
Then he recalled that there was something else that could help him in that situation.
"Info!"
Fay
Level: 67
Health: 52% (Declining)
Status: Absent pulse
Elements: Blood, Dark, Water
Detailed Info reaches level 4. Increase displayed information by 4%.
"Oh, my aunt…oh, my giddy, giddy aunt…What do I do?"
He recalled that he should have known what to do. He didn't have enough working arms for it, but he had a mouth and at least an arm for trying to resuscitate her.
"Erin!" he screamed before he kneeled near her and, plugging her nose, he breathed into her mouth, then he started hammering her thorax, once again hoping that her heart's position was right… hopefully, it was.
But after thirty seconds of punching her thorax and meeting much more resistance than he thought he would while beating on such a frail-looking body, David was hit by metaphorical lightning.
"Wushu! Zap her! Zap her now!" He screamed.
The young Chinese dragon that, until a few seconds prior, was circling around them, panicking just more than him, stopped in mid-air, staring at David.
Then he made a vertical clockwise circle and struck the dead girl with lightning the moment his rotation ended.
David did not wait for Wushu's cooldown to disappear, he breathed air back into her, then hammered her chest anew, and just as he was losing hope... she woke up, sucking in a scary lungful of air.
She rolled to her right, coughing, then coughing some more and David could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Erin! Good God, you're alright—" Dave made to approach her, but she stumbled back, trying to get up but falling back on her ass.
"Davi—cough, cough—where… where are we? Where is this?"
Finally aware that they had indeed left the Garden, well, probably the City, David looked around.
One thing was clear right away, Fein, the huge pinkish moon of Arthan, told them that they were still on their planet, but he could not say more than that.
They were sitting on dry soil. At their left and in front of them, paved an endless desert, at their right rose a short mountain range, at which feet stood enough green to give them hope to find some water, while behind the party was… was a lake, a distant yet small lake.
Across the lake was the City, he could tell, but it was so small… so stupidly small that they must have been very, very distant.
"That's actually not distant enough, is it?" He told himself.
In a world with spaceships, but even back on Earth, that kind of distance was easily shortened by machines.
"That's Varya…" noticed Erin.
"Alright, that's Varya, but Erin, how are you? I know it's a dumb question but, how do you feel? Can I help you in some way? Bollocks… look at those burns… I'm so sorry, Erin."
Did they have prosthetics in this world? They should have, shouldn't they?
"What are you talking about, Dave? You saved my life…" she said, coughing some more.
"Yeah… but, you've lost—" He tried to say but was interrupted.
"Oh, this? Don't worry. I'm a Biomancer, remember? I can fix myself. I just need some time to recover… although…" she grimaced, "my grimoire is… no more," she checked at the rest of the burned shoulder strap belonging to her purse. It had probably been erased by the angry Ichigo's attack.
"So you don't cry for your lost appendages, but you make that face for a book? What if you had lost your smartphone?" Dave shook his head, "Kids these days…"
"That was something that will take a lot of materials to make and a lot of effort… these—" she said, raising her left arm stump high, "—I can fix it in minutes… if I had enough Stamina, which I don't have since I've been using Stealth to follow you all day."
David didn't connect with what Erin said right away, but his reaction comically coincided with that of Wushu. The two even shared a look before turning to Erin.
"You were spying on us? All this time!?" He asked.
"Did you really think the Ancient and I would let a child wander alone in her Garden, unprotected? Did you take us for degenerates?" She asked, sincerely offended.
David opened his mouth then closed it back a couple of times… he didn't really have to say much.
"That might not necessarily be… untrue," he admitted, "I might have thought the Ancient was…" he juggled air in his hands while looking for the right words, "testing me? And also a little touched in the head..."
"Well, that was the idea," she admitted ignoring the second part, "but let's stop this nonsense. We need to move away from here. When I followed you, through her pheromones, the Ancient told me that the Fiends had come to visit her, they are looking for you, David, and won't stop until they take your Title."
David slowly nodded, "So that meteor were the Fiends? Was it a spaceship or something?"
"Meteor?" Erin asked, "Oh, maybe you mean the light?"
"Yes, as if the Sun was exploding right in my face."
Erin scoffed, "No, that was probably a lackluster attempt at stopping you, or more like, erasing you from the world."
Dave didn't answer right away, "Well, if they want me to disappear, I guess I'll have to." He grinned.
Erin answered in kind, "Then you should get on with training that Stealth Skill."
"Alright… anyway, Erin, I don't really feel physically well since the trip, but I can help you with moving around… so, can you restore my arm?"
"Yes, but you will hurt yourself if I use your Stamina to heal you in that state. So, let's first reach that thicket of trees over there," she said, pointing at our right, "there are a few things we need to do before we can prepare to leave."
Saying so, like an athlete, Erin rose up with only her right leg, placed the stump of her arm around David's back, and he had to bend down a bit to grab her; she was roughly five feet, five feet at best.
They walked slowly, for David didn't feel really good. It was likely that his Well was full and that his Health had been damaged by something; his broken arm also was quite daunting to move around without making him spasm for pain.
It was not the best situation, so David focused on something else. He focused on the Source and its messages.
The Source
Congratulations, Deviant Son! You have beaten your fifth Source Quest.
Your Level reaches 5. You receive 1 Attribute point.
Blessing of the Source, Resilience + 1.
You received (1) Passive Attribute Skill Choice-Token!
David decided to wait before placing the Attribute point, it was more important to check on what the bloody hell his unlocked Title of Trespasser did, and he didn't even finish the thought that the Source answered for him.
The Source
Title: Trespasser (Unique)
- First Perk: Phase through the Source, creating a breach through space. 100% Well-filling. 1 second cast time (fixed). 1 minute to 1 year cooldown (based on distance). (All your Attributes are halved for 1 minute to 1 year (based on distance).
- Second Perk: Locked
- Third Perk: Locked
- Fourth Perk: Locked
- Fifth Perk: Locked
David awed, then he started nodding. "That's why I feel like crap…"
Status
Name: Deviant (David Anderson) Son
Blessing: Blessing of The Source (Unique) – Resilience + 1 every Level
Title: Trespasser (Unique) – First Perk
Level: 5
Arcanist, Class level: 4
Class Perks: Source Sight
Attributes
Health: 41%
Stamina: 76%
Well: 100%
Alacrity: 5 (2) 59 minutes
Constitution: 5 (2) 59 minutes
Perception: 4 (2) 59 minutes
Strength: 5 (2) 59 minutes
Mind: 17 (8) 59 minutes
Resilience: 17 (8) 59 minutes
Charisma: 4 (2) 59 minutes
Attribute points: 1
"You could have at least rounded them up…" he said to himself.
"What's wrong, Davi? Are you speaking to yourself?" Erin asked.
"I spoke to the stupid Source… the Trespasser Title almost killed me," he said.
Erin smiled, "You should not speak of the Source like that, Davi. It is omniscient and all-powerful, though I doubt it cares much about us. But, tell me of your Perks, the Ancient hinted at something, but she wasn't very clear."
"Well… it's like this—" Dave explained them to Erin.
Her brows raised, she nodded, "Indeed, it is powerful but it is dangerous, incredibly so. I can't imagine how weakened a being with my level could feel by having their Attributes cut by half for the rest of the day… I can't even put my head around having them cut for the rest of a year. And it halves Resilience too... If you ended up in a random place with stronger creatures, you might die before being able to answer any threat… speaking of which, why are we here, Davi?"
"By here, you mean physically, or did you mean here in the grand scope of things? Because I can't answer both those questions," he conceded.
"So, you don't know how to control it, fair enough." she replied.
They kept walking in a self-inspecting state and while they trudged on, Wushu flew ahead scouting.
"Were you affected by the debuff?" Dave asked after a while.
Erin shook her head, "It seems it affects only you."
"Anyway, my Well has emptied, if you want, I might fix your arm, but know that this place has a Resilience Threshold of fifteen, so you should still—"
"Really!? Fifteen!? I've got seventeen!" David answered excitedly, "Oh, I'm saved! I'm finally saved!" He was about to throw himself to the ground and make an angel with the dry, almost sandy, earth.
Erin smiled happily, "With so little over the Resilience Threshold, your Well might empty at one to three percent every minute. So in less than an hour, you might feel it discharging naturally for the first time."
"Wow, Erin! I'm so happy I could kiss you right now!"
"I don't see the problem, as long as it's not taboo to you," she answered with nonchalance.
"Well, we humans tend to think about kisses in another way, but who cares!" He stamped a kiss on her lips, then shouted for happiness. He was free of dread for the first time since he had come to that world. David knew he had yet to solve all his problems, but it was a step forward.
"You should not shout like that. We are not clear of all dangers, and Sourceborns can appear every moment, not to mention wild creatures," Erin said.
"Sorry, sorry, let's just focus on reaching that place," David replied, but his unbeatable grin was one mile wide.
***
The little thicket of trees was not that little after all; it spawned for a few miles, reaching the mountain feet in the distance. It had taken them barely half an hour to get there.
David helped Erin sit on the ground to rest, then he focused on his Status screen, putting his Attribute point into Mind, and finally using the Attribute Token he had received from the Quest.
The Source
Opening Passive Attribute Skill Choice-Token.
Choose an Attribute among the following:
Alacrity: Your Alacrity represents the natural speed of your neurons and your nerves. Increasing Alacrity you can think quicker, act swiftly, move faster.
Constitution: Your Constitution represents the duress, resistance, and density of the complex structures that make up your body.
Charisma: Your Charisma represents your appearance's beauty and charm and the appeal your persona can generate in other beings.
Although it has to be known that David was a kind of fool, he was no fool when it came to these sorts of things. When he had taken his previous Attribute Skill, he had done it by himself; however, now he had Erin by his side.
"Hey, Erin, how do you feel?" He asked.
Erin was drawing a circle on the ground with her finger. "I'm about to fix my situation. Tell me."
"Oh, well, I'm about to choose an Attribute Skill. Which do you think would help me the most among Alacrity, Constitution, and Charisma right now?"
"Mmm, they are all situational at this moment; however, if you took Alacrity, it might help us travel faster, while Constitution will help you deal with pretty much everything that will be thrown at you faster; however, Charisma…" she raised her head from the ground, looking at the Loong sinuously moving in the air as he scouted the area.
"Might help you with your familiar."
"It will? How?" David asked.
"One of the Skills it will offer can give you the choice of bolstering your bond with him, and thus his power. Still, it is only one of three; you'll have to choose for yourself," she said. Yet before he asked, she continued. "Davi, I need a favor."
"Really? From me? Have I become dependable?" He asked with a grin.
"Aren't you?" Erin asked back, faking a frown.
"I've always been. Now, tell me, my lady, I'm at your service," he got up and made a bow that made him dizzy. He had to sit down again.
At Erin's chortle, he answered, "Can't blame a man for trying to be useful."
"Well, you don't have to do it right now, rest first, but listen all the same," she took in a breath, "I fear we might have to do a little… walking, likely a lot, so I need Fast Skills suited to my needs, especially since I have no grimoire anymore."
"Which means?"
"Which means that I need to make some rituals to change them. It's a great occasion for you to look at how to do them, but it also means that I need a few Crystals; even Tiny Crystals are fine, but mine are not enough."
"So, I need to go farming for Crystals," Dave shrugged, "okay."
Erin smiled with a proud mommy smile, "Well, then I guess you should choose your Constitution Skill; it might help you."
"Let's do it your way then."
The Source
Choose your Constitution Passive Ability among the following:
Healthy: You recover Health at an increased rate, the higher your Constitution the higher the Health recovery.
Tireless: You recover Stamina at an increased rate, the higher your Constitution the higher the Stamina recovery.
Unyielding: Your Well empties at an increased rate, the higher your Constitution the higher the Well emptying speed.
"Unyielding, Source? Really? And you're giving it to me now?"
David thought about it, "Although… my Well didn't really empty by itself before, so touchè."
Unyielding reaches level 1. Well empties 1% faster.
***
David spent the next half an hour staring at Erin, who slowly regenerated her body. The stumps of her arm and leg had recovered a bit, but if that was the rhythm at which she recovered, it would take them at least a few hours; the night would be soon upon them.
"Are you fascinated by Biomancer's magic?" She asked him with a smile.
"No, prof, it's rather disgusting actually, but I can't stop staring at it… more than that; why aren't you regenerating it more quickly?" David asked.
"Because Biomancy uses the body's target Stamina and body resources to heal body parts, the Source can't create matter out of thin air," she explained.
"Wait, what about this Sourceanium thing I've just gotten to know about?" David asked, "Isn't that a form of matter the Source makes out of thin air?"
"Not exactly. Sourceanium is nothing but crystallized Source, of the denser kind. Not brittle like Source Crystals, but malleable like metal."
"I read it's needed to build machinery, but of what kind and why?" Dave continued.
"Of any kind, like weapons, armor, vehicles. Sourcenium by itself has an inherent innate resistance to Source, but it's not stronger than common metal, so it must be mixed with metal alloys and other materials; it can't be wielded by itself," she explained.
"Weapons, of what kind exactly?"
"All kind," Erin said. She looked rather happy that David could take her mind off of her regeneration. It seemed to be taking a toll on her, and all her exposed body parts were covered in bulging purple veins.
"—from a knife to a sword, from a gun to a Mage's staff, Sourceanium can be used in all sorts of equipment, including Grimoires."
At the mention of a Mage's staff, David's eyes got sharper.
"So, if it directly helps to command the Source and direct Skills through it, wouldn't a staff made entirely of Sourceanium be better?" He asked.
Erin shook her head, "Not quite, such a staff would be too weak to be wielded correctly, although resistant to Source, Sourceanium can be affected by the subproducts of Source."
David had an interrogatory expression plastered on his face, to which Erin seemed happy to oblige, "Let's take your Arcane Wave, for example. If you used it through a Staff made entirely of Sourceanium to make it stronger and more precise, your Staff would suffer from Arcane Wave's air displacement. What it does is push the air forward with a wave of Arcane power directly related to your ability to control the Source. So your Sourceanium Staff would suffer the rebound and grow weaker with each cast, where a Staff built from different material other than Sourceanium would instead resist much, much longer."
"Sorry, but couldn't it simply get fixed?"
"No, Davi. Once crystallized, Sourceanium can only be smitten and worked with the help of related professions, and once the product is finished, it cannot be adjusted. While when it is damaged, it slowly loses Crystal dust or chunks of Crystals until its form is completely lost," Erin explained.
"That is… incredibly interesting," he admitted. He was ready to ask about which profession he would require to create something like that, Erin intervened.
"Are you ready to get me those Crystals?" She asked.
"What?" David suddenly brought out from his world, asked.
Erin raised her eyes to the sky, giggling both at the face David was making and at Wushu's face, who was following the argument and looked as drawn to it as the Human.
"The creature the Ancient gave you, it made my A.S.U.T. level up. It's been a while since it last did," Erin confessed. "No, actually, it leveled up when I met you as well. Anyway, are you ready to get me those Crystals?" She waved her arm's stump, "Because we are going to be here all night, and I'm conserving Stamina and Well to protect myself from threats, so if you hurried on, we might leave this place sooner."
"Right away, ma'am!" David shot up, his long hour of debuff had ended, and he could actually feel himself grow better by the minute.
"Davi," Erin called as David got up and tried to leave, "Maybe I should fix your arm first?"
Dave looked at it, "Indeed you do, ma'am."
After receiving her healing, without further ado, Dave left and headed to the deepest part of the thicket of trees, "Let's go, Wushu. I just hope we'll actually find something. This place looks empty as the pockets of my jeans. Oh, look at that; I don't have jeans, nor pockets anymore."