Kaladin Shadowheart's POV
I idly rolled the pale yellow crystal across the table while feeling along its smooth surface. I forced mana into my fingertips to try and get some kind of reaction from the dungeon core, but nothing changed. It was an odd thing that I wasn't sure what to do with. I could sell it for a fortune and live happily, but for some reason, I felt like I could get better use out of it. What that use was remains to be seen.
Perhaps I'll bring this over to Headmaster Bowen in the near future. Maybe he can give me some insight on what to do with it. Maybe even give me a better understanding of dungeons while he's at it. Those entities still remain a mystery to me, and if anybody is going to know anything, it would probably be him. Or he could at least point me in the right direction.
Of course, I was just doing this to distract myself from my more pressing thoughts. It's been two weeks since I started attending this school and had my fight with the Professor. I analyzed the battle from start to finish and played it back in my head over and over again to try and find a better outcome.
Perhaps if I had used my plasma spells or used my sword, I would have lasted longer against him. I was also tempted to start using earth magic against him, but I always came to the same conclusion.
I would have lost regardless of what I did.
That man was just that much stronger than me. Professor Garrison told me he didn't do anything special, and although I knew that wasn't the truth I don't think he is lying. I believe he really doesn't know what makes him different, and that's why not everyone can just wake up and become a War God.
The Professor changed something on some deeper level when he said he was taking me seriously after he cut my white fire lance in half. He let his bloodlust leak out of him, and I took it with no problems. I was about ready to start using my plasma spells when I blinked for only a moment. I already knew it was over the instant it took him to reach me.
That speed… I've seen something like that once before when Dad accidentally lashed out at me during our match when I surprised him.
But what were they doing differently compared to me? Was it really as simple as just putting "more mana" into their body enhancement? Am I just that much weaker than Dad and Mr. Garrison? How does one close the gap on that kind of level?
The gap is far too large to be a difference in training or ability. I'm missing something essential, and apparently, it's something that War Gods and my father just naturally have.
Could it be because I'm not from this world? Did my reincarnation play some part in all of this?
Perhaps, since I didn't grow up with a blank mind, I had a preconceived notion of how things should be, which has tainted my innate understanding of things? Just like how I can't tell how old an Elf is despite knowing what kind of Elf they are. It's a possibility amongst the sea of endless choices. At the end of the day, I really only have one option.
Just get stronger.
I'm not discouraged in the slightest. I've overcome more significant obstacles in the past. But, honestly, I don't need to become as strong as a War God or Dad. I just need to be stronger than everyone else, and that's good enough for me.
But is that… really what I want? I don't know. But it's what I have to do.
I shrugged and thought back to my fight with Princess Ren. The Princess was strong, but she lacked practical experience. I could tell she works hard and had some talent, but all that won't matter if she doesn't get real-world experience.
That's what Professor Garrison was trying to show her and everyone else in the class. I just wish he didn't use me for it. But it paid off in the end.
I unsummoned the dungeon core and took out a chunk of the green crystal that I had taken from the dungeon. This stuff has also remained a mystery to me. I put my finger near the crystal and just barely touched its side. Mana flowed from my chest into my fingertips, and the crystal slowly backed away from my touch.
If I stopped the flow of mana from my finger, it slowly returned to its original shape. It didn't matter where I touched the crystal. It would always react the same way regardless of where I touched it. The tiny little shard also wouldn't respond to touch; just to mana, which was weird… since all living things have mana inside of them. So why does focusing my mana make a difference? Shouldn't touching have the same results?
I also realized the crystal wasn't using or "consuming" my mana like Cerila's tablet did. It just avoided mana altogether. I had a whole chunk of this stuff the size of a large boulder, and I wasn't sure what I would do with it. I grabbed it on a whim because it looked interesting, and those giant turtle monsters were eating it.
But why were they eating it? What's the—
You know what… never mind. What's the point of trying even to guess why a gravity-defying turtle monster was eating a shiny crystal in the ground in a murder magical dungeon being guarded by stone giants. What kind of nutritional value does this crystal contain? What sense does any of this even make?
I let out a deep sigh… magic…
My sigh was returned, and I looked over from the table and onto the couch. "Are you done rolling that rock around? Some of us actually have to study for things," she said, clearly frustrated.
"Sorry…" I quickly stashed the crystal shard away into my ring and filed it away for a future me to handle.
Amongst my growing list of problems. Future me is going to have a bad time.
My eyes lingered for far longer than intended as I looked Sylvia up and down. She was posted up with her pale legs to her chest. Sylvia's legs had grown just ever so slightly bigger with muscle and she was reading a book for class while she moved her purple and black hair, which was pulled into a bun, to the side.
Sylvia's body has changed somewhat after working out in the last handful of months. I can just notice a very small amount of muscle that wasn't there before. It's not like she was particularly thin or tiny in the first place. I would say she is probably slightly above average for High Elf body…uh… proportions, yes…
Although her change had begun, it wasn't nearly as drastic as my transformation. I also can't tell if she is getting that much stronger, but she says she wants to continue, so I have no objections.
She had taken to wearing some of her older clothing, consisting of a very short pair of purple shorts and what could only be classified as a black tank top. It was… revealing. We are going to be living together for the foreseeable future. I really should say something to her… but…
Don't ignore those desires. Mmm… yeah, I don't think I will.
"Do you have something to say to me or something?" Sylvia asked while glaring at me.
I shook my head slowly. "No… no, I don't."
Sylvia can wear whatever she wants to wear. It's her house as well, after all. At least that's what I'm going to tell myself.
"So you look like you are having some problems," I said, trying my absolute best to distract myself and deflect any dangerous incoming questions.
Sylvia looked at me, and I could tell she was about to get angry with me, but she seemingly stopped herself. Her half-formed angry turned into a meek smile. "Yes… I am. I just don't understand all these stupid shapes and angles… what is the point of all this crap?"
Ah, geometry.
I've heard that people can be inherently bad at it. Some people are simply not wired to understand these things as easily as others. Or so I've been told. Of course, I don't have any problems with geometry, but I'm hardly someone to be compared to.
I took a seat across from Sylvia as she placed the book on the table. "Which parts are bothering you?"
"This one here… and this one… this one too…" She pointed out a few sections and started reading them.
Mmm… not too bad.
I looked up, and Sylvia was just staring at me intensely. I felt a tinge of embarrassment and had to clear my throat so I could ask a question to ease the tension a bit. Of course, living with Sylvia was a geometry problem in and of itself.
"I've been meaning to ask you something. You said you had a master and multiple teachers, yes?" I asked.
"Mhmm," Sylvia hummed.
"Is this level of education similar to what you were getting?" I asked.
"Pretty much. I mean, some things are different. Writing the Human language is an absolute pain… why is it so convoluted? Half the things don't even make sense…" Sylvia griped while going on a random tangent.
Welcome to the things Humans do best. Making things complicated when they don't need to be.
"So the level of education is roughly the same, huh…" I wondered out loud.
That shouldn't be the case. Two thousand years is a very long time for education not to have progressed. Either the Vampires were just that far ahead of everyone or lots of things have been lost to time, especially after the fall of Talgan and the Empire of Nul.
"I guess…" Sylvia mumbled while throwing herself onto the couch and stretching out.
"This master of yours. What did they teach you?" I asked.
"Mmm? Master Keldrag normally taught me about magic and my vampire powers. Sometimes he would teach me about history and stuff but not all that often," Sylvia mumbled into the cushion.
What…
I had to do a double-take and make sure I heard Sylvia correctly. "Did you say… Keldrag? Like… Keldrag Pass, Keldrag?"
Sylvia rolled over to her side on the couch and propped her head upon her arm. "Yeah. Although, I guess he is a Dragon Emperor now… which probably means he betrayed me and killed my family," Sylvia said flatly.
My head started spinning, and I took a very deep breath to focus. Sylvia just dropped a bomb on my head, and it was not one I was used to. So what do I even say…
"Too heavy?" Sylvia said with a wry smile.
"No… I mean, kind of? But uh… you mean to tell me your master was a Dragon Emperor? An entity so strong it could theoretically end the world?" I asked in a weak voice.
Sylvia just gave me a look that practically screamed it was no big deal. But it was a big deal… a huge deal…
"Sylvia... what's the odds of Keldrag knowing you are alive?" I asked.
"Uh… I don't know? Probably pretty low. I doubt he is expecting any Vampire to live for that long, let alone show up two thousand years in the future. I mean, he might even be dead himself."
I seriously doubt that.
"If he were to say… show up suddenly… could you stop him from hurting you?" I questioned.
Sylvia scoffed and sat back up while sinking into the soft sofa. "Is your first thought when you meet people for the first time always, 'Can I beat this person in a fight?'"
No… yes…
"Sometimes…" I grumbled.
Sylvia let out a sad sigh. "That's not a good thing. You know that, right?"
"I'm aware. Circumstances just dictate things for me…" I said with a weak shrug.
Sylvia stared at me blankly for a moment. "Using big words when you are wrong doesn't suddenly make me forget what we are talking about."
"I know…"
Sylvia just gave me a wry smile and let out a deep breath. "At least you understand. But to answer your question, we wouldn't stand a chance. Not in a million years."
I gazed at the ceiling and then shut my eyes. "Good to know. Remind me not to piss him off if the time ever comes…"
"You don't have to worry about it. If he comes, it will be for me, not you. So don't worry about—"
I opened my eyes and looked down my nose at Sylvia. She stopped mid-sentence as she watched me with a surprised look. "You really think I would let him take you? After all, you've done for me? If it comes down to it, I'll be the first Dragonslayer this generation has ever seen. I'm already getting pretty good at killing overgrown lizards."
Not that I'm particularly proud of that fact.
Sylvia blinked a few times, opened her mouth, and then closed it a few times. "You would fight a Dragon Emperor for me?" she managed to say in surprise.
I returned her confused look. "What do you mean? I thought we already went over this a long time ago. So what's the difference between a Dragon Emperor and some other monster we run into?"
"One can end the world…" Sylvia mumbled.
"If it's alive, it can die. I'll figure something out just like how I'm going to figure out how these War Gods tick. After all, I've got a promise to keep," I said confidently.
I really did mean it. I've come too far, and Sylvia has done way too much for me ever to abandon her. I'd take on any task just like I know she would for me.
"But uh… that doesn't mean go around picking fights with them… please," I begged.
Sylvia blushed and nodded her head meekly. "I'll try not to," she said with a giggle.
I found this side of Sylvia to be my personal favorite. Not sure why. I just did. Maybe it was because this is who she truly is. I think sometimes she puts up the facade of a noble to protect herself, which I understand.
Honestly, I don't mind if I'm the only person that gets to see this smile.
Sylvia averted her eyes from me and then slowly brought them back. "Are you done staring off into nothingness? I would like to understand this before the test tomorrow."
I wasn't staring into nothingness… ah, better left unsaid.
"Yeah, let me help you out."
I took a seat next to Sylvia and pointed out what she was doing wrong. It took a few extra hours, and we went well into the night. Finally, Sylvia yawned and gave me a sleepy look.
"Hungry?" I asked.
Sylvia puffed her cheeks out at me. "How did you know?"
"I've been around you long enough to know. You only give me that sleepy look at nights when you are about to ask to eat," I said with a slight shrug. "I also know that once you do feed, you will pass out."
Sylvia giggled. "Yeah, but that's normally after you pass out first."
"I just can't help it. Getting used to blood loss probably isn't very good for me…" I said, uncertain.
Sylvia gave me a concerned look and then squeezed my arm slightly. "Are you worried that I'm hurting you?"
"No… that's not it… I'm just wondering about the long-term effects, that's all," I said weakly.
Sylvia gave me a warm smile. "I promise I'm not hurting you. As far as I know, there shouldn't be any long-term damage. I mean, I fed off my mother and Salihn for years, and nothing bad happened. My mother also never said it was a problem. And anything that does happen, I can just heal you, right?"
Sylvia told me that Salihn was her handmaid, and the two were practically sisters. I gazed into Sylvia's crimson eyes for a while, then let out a small breath. "Yeah, you're right. I trust you."
Sylvia's smile turned into a pout, and instead of letting my arm go, she pinched me slightly. "Aren't you worried about this test? I know you scored really high on our entrance exam, but you didn't even study once…"
"I studied a little…"
"You looked at the practice questions, and that was it…" Sylvia complained.
"Yeah, and I knew everything that was on it. Besides, this test doesn't affect people's rankings so it's not even a big deal," I said.
Sylvia scooted away from me slightly and watched the fire crackle. "What place do you think we are going to get in the class?" she asked quietly.
I watched the flames flicker in the fireplace along with her. "Mmmm, hopefully, top twenty. I would prefer not to make a big scene."
Sylvia slowly turned her head towards me. I could practically see the annoyance radiating off her as she contemplated punching my lights out. "Did you really just say that?" she said in a low voice.
"Hey… wait, that's not exactly what—" I tried to say defensively.
"You fought a War God on the first day! Showed off nearly all of your skills! And that's after punching a princess in the face!" Sylvia said, exasperated.
"Well… I… you know? Things just kind of happened, and I wanted to use my fight against the princess as leverage to have a chance to fight a real War God sooooo…"
"I don't ever want to hear you say anything about maintaining a low profile ever again. You've already done enough to ruin that," Sylvia groaned.
"Sorry…"
"Why are you apologizing? It doesn't matter to me if you are famous or not. I just want you to understand what you are doing. If people come looking for you, then we know where to run," Sylvia said with a slight shrug.
"I guess."
Sylvia sighed, then turned her head slightly. "Either way… it's time."
"For what?" I asked. Sylvia started crawling across the couch towards me. "Hey, wait, I want to stay—wait! Sylv—"
She didn't wait.
—
The following morning we arrived at class ready for the test. At least, I was ready. Sylvia was… somewhat confident. Unlike most of my classmates, it seems.
We were given assigned seating for big tests like this, and of course, we didn't get a say in who we sat next to. Sylvia had been sent to the front of the class, and I was all the way in the back.
So far, my row was completely empty, and there should only be one other student sitting next to me, although they haven't arrived yet. Scanning the faces of the students, I could tell people were quite nervous for some reason.
Professor Garrison's words were along the lines of, "This test doesn't count, but it matters." Whatever that's supposed to mean. I let out a deep sigh and turned to face the student moving toward me.
I stared for longer than I intended, and it wasn't out of malice or anything. I was just perplexed. The girl watched me with a wry smile and gave me a small wave that I had forgotten to return initially.
She was short… but not as short as a Dwarf. Her arms and shoulders showed clear signs of well-developed muscles, which appeared misplaced on her tiny body. Her limbs were somewhere in between being long yet short enough to think something wasn't normal. Her curly light brown hair bounced around as she sat down, and her swirling hazel eyes observed me.
Is she… Human? Her face looks Human, and she is too tall to be a Dwarf. But not tall enough to be a short Human. It's just that her body proportions are all over the place.
"Is something the matter, Voker?" she asked me, sounding both kind and worried.
"No, not at all. I don't believe I know your name…" I said, somewhat embarrassed.
After making such a scene, I may or may not have drawn more attention than I intended. Many people know me, and I do want to make an effort to learn my classmates' names. I just find it… challenging to talk to them.
Thankfully she gave me a friendly smile in return. "Jyngwyn Icebreaker. But feel free to call me Jen."
"Okay, Jen. It's nice to meet you." I extended a hand for a shake, and she shook it with a surprising amount of strength.
Jen quickly unpacked her things and got herself situated for the test. Then, she nervously tapped away at the desk until she looked back up to find me staring again.
"Umm, Voker?" she asked hesitantly.
"Are you perhaps nervous about this test, Jen?" I asked curiously.
She gave me a weak shrug and a wry smile. "A little, yeah."
"Could you explain to me as to why? I was under the impression this test doesn't count."
This ought to help both of us a bit.
"Ah, well, you're right that it doesn't count, but that's not exactly true. This is the first test of the year that gets posted to the entire school. So although it doesn't affect your rank, people look at it as an indicator for the competitive classes," she explained.
"Competitive classes?" I asked.
"Yeah, you know how this class is the top thirty students? Well, another class is the thirty-one to sixty and all that. So if you score low on this test and the other class sees it…" Jen trailed off.
"They might come for your position, huh?" I said.
"Exactly. That's how I got into this class. So for people like me in the high twenties, this test matters a lot."
"I see. But you shouldn't be so hard on yourself."
Jen flicked to me and gave me a confused look. "Huh?" she squeaked.
"You aren't just the top twenty of this class but the entire school. If you worked hard to be here, then you should have more confidence in yourself, Jen. At least, that's what I think," I said seriously.
The girl blinked a few times before letting out a hardy laugh. She slapped me on the back a few times with a fervorous amount of gusto. "Here I was thinking you were a weirdo! You're something else, Voker!" she chuckled. Then Jen smiled brightly at me. "But I appreciate it. Even if it was a weird way to go about making me feel better."
"Mhm," I mumbled.
How is she so strong? How do such tiny hands give such an intense slapping force?
"Voker… I don't mind, but is there a reason you are staring at me so intently?" Jen asked meekly.
"Ah… well… yes. I was wondering if you don't mind me asking, what are you exactly?"
Jen gave me a look like I had stabbed her in the chest with a knife. Her face morphed from confusion to concern, then back to uncertainty. "Uh… what?"
That was… not the right way to say that.
I cleared my throat and rubbed my red ears in hopes she didn't notice. "I mean, what race are you? I am having a difficult time discerning," I clarified.
The lightbulb turned on, and she gave me another hearty laugh along with a few back slaps. "Why didn't you just say so! I'm a Half-Dwarf!"
Ah, so she is. Well, at least things make sense now. In more ways than one…
"I understand. I've never seen one before, so I apologize if I offended you, Jen."
Jen waved me away and gave me a toothy smile. "Not at all. Most people have never seen one before, so it's fine. Humans don't tend to go around having kids with Dwarves anyways."
Huh, she sounds like she is trying to convince herself and not me. Of course, I've been there before, but I wonder…
"Is someone giving you a hard time, Jen?" I asked seriously.
Jen's eyes went big for a second, and she chuckled softly. "No! Not at all… I mean… mostly…"
She trailed off on her own, and I just continued staring at her. If she didn't want to talk about it, she didn't have to. I was hardly going to force someone I had just met to talk about their problems, but if they did it willingly, that was another thing.
She gave me a slight shrug. "Honestly, it's not so bad. The people in this class are kind. Parker… the princesses… just about everyone is really nice to me when we talk. The Dwarves from Krunbar aren't rude to me or anything. They just don't interact with me. Cold indifference, you know?"
"Yeah. I understand that all too well," I said, more toneless than I had meant to.
Jen just waved it away, put her head into her hands, and stared at me intently. "That's a really nice mask. What rank dungeon item is it?"
To be honest, I don't even know. I'd say probably around B or A…
"How do you know it's from a dungeon?" I asked curiously.
"That's because… that's because? I uh… I just know?" Jen said, sounding confused.
Dwarven blood is strong enough in her that she just inherently understands craftsmanship, huh?
"I get that as well. Just a simple understanding of things you can't explain? And yes, it is a dungeon item. However, I don't know what rank it is. So Jen… what are you doing at this school exactly."
She gave me another hard slap on the back. "Yeah, you would get it! Elves just know things about… nature and stuff, right? And well, you see, I wanna be a farmer!" she said excitedly.
Now it was my turn to be confused.
"I know this may sound bad, but why does a top thirty student in the university want to be a simple farmer?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"I don't want to be just any ol' farmer! I want to be a mountain farmer!"
Jen said this without hesitation. As if this was just the most natural thing in the world. I was beyond confused.
"I'm sorry, but I do not know what a mountain farmer is," I admitted. "Could you possibly explain?"
Jen gave me a devilish smile. "You ever wonder how this cafeteria has so much food? That even though it's the end of the winter, we have all those greens and fruits? How a big city like this grows food for such a large population?"
"Yes, actually. I was intrigued enough to research a little bit of why on my own. I learned Luminar does a lot of fishing year-round. Some people even go out ice fishing during the winter. But I couldn't find anything on the fruits and vegetables. I imagined they just imported those in from Sandervile?"
That's what I managed to dig up when I looked into the food situation here. Fish was a staple in this region, and I found that odd, considering the presence of Leviathans. But I learned that there isn't a single deepwater port on this side of the world. The coasts are relatively shallow for miles, and fishermen can fish in relative safety. Of course, monsters still exist in the water, but those are much more manageable than the giant city-destroying sea creatures.
"Right. Lots of food does come from the City-State Confederacy. However… what about Krunbar and this cold place? They can't get all of this stuff from them, right?" Jen asked.
"True. But how does a nation that is almost entirely underground and covered in snow grow food? I can only imagine that they… grow… underground?" I asked while turning towards Jen.
Jen gave me a playful smile. "Right on the gold! The Dwarves figured out how to grow plants in something else that wasn't the soil! They planted seeds into a crystal and used a combination of runes powered by a dungeon core shard to grow plants! Amazing stuff, right!?" Jen said excitedly.
I can't help but notice that Jen says Dwarves like she isn't one. Does she not see herself as a Dwarf, I wonder?
Either way, that wasn't the most interesting part. No… it was that Dwarves have seemingly figured out hydroponics and that they are growing plants underground without the sun or fertile soil. How interesting…
Is there a connection to hydroponics I'm aware of? Or is it completely magic-based? I can only speculate…
"Voker? Are you awake?" Jen asked.
"Yes, sorry… I was just thinking to myself." I hadn't realized I had been ignoring her. I didn't mean to, but well… sometimes I get distracted.
I looked up, and Professor Garrison gave me and Jen a kind smile. "Ms. Icebreaker… would you care to take your seat so we can begin?"
My eyes drifted across the room, and I realized everyone was staring at us. My eyes met with a very irritated Vampire from across the room, and I could practically feel her death gaze.
If looks could kill, I'd be reborn and killed again by her hands.