System Change - Chapter 355

Chapter 355:

Because of how far away they were from where they left Edgar and the Void Travel portal, it took Derek and Alanah a lot longer to get back via Void Steps. Derek didn’t mind, though, it gave him ample time to view his entire status sheet.

First, he went over his skills. Absolute Nullify had leveled after the fight with the Starfury Leonarus, which made perfect sense, as it was vital in keeping the things ultimate attack at bay while Silvi got into position to roast it alive. He’d also gained another hard-earned level in Greater Meditation during the fight with the King of Astrus. Every time that skill gained a level, he became one step closer to being able to use it without it hindering his movements and reactions at all.

His new Mental Resistance ended up at level 4 after everything. Not a bad gain for a skill in such a short time. I’ll have to thank Alanah for that. With that thought, he looked over at the woman he was carrying. It seemed she was doing everything she could to keep her consciousness. She wasn’t in any condition to talk at the moment. Her health and even mana could have been full, but whatever her transformation skill did, it took a lot out of her mentally.

Derek faced forward and continued going over his skill gains. Unfortunately, those three skills, and Spatial Rend leveling once, which was a happy coincidence, seemed to be the only ones to level since the last time he checked. He had hoped to see Spatial Collapse or Spatial Redirection gain a level, but he’d barely used the new skills, so it wasn’t enough.

From there, he looked up and saw his new level. When he left the raid, he was level 223, so the combined experience he and Silvi gained from those in the army they’d killed and the king gave him enough experience… or essence… to level up four times. Those four levels translated to 140 extra stats points to use, leaving him with 176 after the level he gained from the Starfury Leonarus.

Derek went ahead and dumped 175 points into dexterity, leaving him with a single free stat point left. He’d throw his next few levels’ worth of stat points into strength to keep a good balance. Min-maxing was a great option with the system if you went endurance and vitality early on, but Derek had been noticing more and more that balancing his stats—at least some of them—seemed to be the better option as he grew stronger and met stronger people.

Nodding at his new stats, he continued down to look over his contracts. Most of them were all unchanged. He still had both his Crown Restaurants with Alanah and Stella since he made them separately. The Torith Adventurer’s Guild contract was blank since the death of Francesco Jaccobs. He wasn’t really sure what that meant. Can the contract be nullified or something now? He shrugged.

At the end of the contracts list, he found that the one that Malorie had made with Natalie finally showed the name of his shop, and he could also view the details if he wanted.

With one last perusal of his status sheet, he stopped on his experience. The amount of experience he was needing was growing exponentially each level he gained. That’s over two trillion experience needed per level, and for killing someone like the KING of an entire country with a definite high rarity class at level 250, I gained less than one trillion experience. This may take a while to hit level 250 now…. Wait… is level 250 still even my cap?

He still had a lot of questions—new questions—that he would like to ask Dave about. But after his cryptic farewell, Derek wasn’t sure he was ready to meet the man again anytime soon. With a shrug, Derek closed his stat sheet and focused on moving forward. He’d been able to get all his mana back in the time he’d been carrying Alanah to their destination, and his finger was even completely regrown. And because his fights weren’t too draining, he was close to 100% mentally, too. He’d be ready to go again whenever needed.

I wonder if any of the king’s gear survived Silvi’s fire. I bet he would have had something good inside any of the spatial rings he was carrying. But knowing the power of her fire, I doubt it. Derek lamented as he kicked off the void once again and continued his way to Edgar. One last look at Alanah, and he realized that she had fallen asleep. If’s she’s asleep, I guess she won’t mind this. With that thought, Derek picked her up in a princess carry and continued moving. That’s a much more comfortable way to carry someone… as long as it doesn’t end in death or torture afterward.

Shortly after, Derek finally came in view of his portal he’d left active. And beside it—but at a very safe distance away from it—he saw Edgar standing on the back of Blitz, hovering in the air. When Derek got even closer, he realized that Silvi was actually sitting directly on top of the wyvern’s head with a smug look in her eyes. Blitz, however, didn’t look very happy about it, but also didn’t seem to be willing to do anything about it. My small little bunny companion is a bully, Derek thought as he approached the trio.

“How’d it go?” Edgar waved Derek over as he drew close.

Derek landed on Blitz’s back without ceremony, then gently laid Alanah down before looking back up at Edgar. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now,” Derek said, shifting his gaze to Silvi, who hadn’t turned around. “But Silvi took care of King Tevarian. So Astrus is now without a king.”

“She did mention that,” Edgar laughed. “I had to pry it out of her, though.”

“Alanah beheaded the general, so he… or she… is dead now,” Derek said.

“Matthew Whitaker,” Edgar replied, confirming that the general was a male. “He was well known for his thick armor and quick movement in it.”

“Well… he wasn’t quick enough,” Derek said. “Especially after I broke whatever spell the Indrian Duke was using to keep her voice from reaching them.”

“I see,” Edgar nodded. “And the two dukes? You captured them?”

“I did,” Derek said. “They are both in my Time Prison. Neither one of them is exactly doing well, but they should stay alive long enough for you to figure out what you plan to do with them. Oh, and you owe Alanah a Potion of Resurrection. She used it on the Duke of Astrus to keep him alive.”

“We owe Alanah a lot of things.” Edgar looked down at the unconscious half-elf woman. “She has fought harder for the kingdom than anyone thought she would, including my father. I know they made her mad after what they did at some of the lesser Crown Restaurants, but after her showing in Savannah, I believe she could have sat back without worrying about anything else happening to her people.

“At that point, I’m sure Duke Elras would have deemed her and her associates off limits. But instead, she came to the front line and has been pushing herself harder and harder. Before, she would pass out as soon as she transformed back from a Dawn Siren. Now, she’s gotten so used to the skill in our battles that she rarely loses consciousness afterward.”

“Hmm…” Derek rubbed his chin. “Maybe you could make her Queen of Indria. A half-blooded elf who is looked down upon by the full-blooded ones running an entire kingdom of them. There’s a certain sense of irony in that.”

“I’m sure my father would have no problem with doing that,” Edgar said. “And…” the prince started, with his eyes shining. “We could make you King of Astrus. If there’s one thing those people respect, it’s strength. You’d be absolutely perfect for the job.”

“Do you want another war?” Derek asked, deadpanned. There was no way in hell he would take on the responsibilities for an entire kingdom. He wasn’t even sure he was doing good enough with the few people he had with him. How would he manage an entire kingdom? Well… I guess Malorie could do all the heavy lifting.

“And Alanah would be the same. I’ve spent enough time with the two of you to know that there’s no way either of you would want to control a kingdom. That would be a burden for you instead of a reward.”

“Exactly,” Derek said. “Though I wouldn’t mind raiding whatever Astrus has in their kingdom’s storage. And Alanah can have whatever Indria has. Those wouldn’t be bad rewards… whatever they are.”

“Maybe…” Edgar chuckled. “For now, we need to think about how to end this war. We’ve taken the first step by routing their army and killing or capturing the majority of their leadership. They’ll be reeling soon, so we’ll need to strike hard when we decide to do it.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Derek said. “I’ve never been there, but I’m pretty sure I can open a portal directly into their capital city. At least, if that’s where the duke’s daughter lives.” Derek had once unleashed his aura on the elven lady, so he should be able to find her if he focused enough. Should actually be much easier to find her than it was to find the old Silvi.

“That… could be a good plan,” Edgar said. “But I take it that you can’t bring anyone else with you if you do it that way?”

“Right now… no,” Derek said. “At least, nobody but Silvi. But I think I may have an idea that could work, and if it does, then I think me and Silvi would be able to bring one or two people with us. But that’s all theoretical for now.”

“I see,” Edgar replied. “We’ll keep that plan in our pocket for now. I think it’s best to go to the palace and have my father and brother figure out what to do next. I’m good at fighting, but dammit, do I hate the politics of everything.”

“I can completely understand where you’re coming from,” Derek said, remembering all the times he refused to create a safe zone or town back when Earth was initiated into the system. He wasn’t about to rule a town then, and he wouldn’t stick his nose in politics now. Well, he wouldn’t actively try to, at least. If whatever he does ends up have political repercussions… then that’s for Edwin, Edward, and Edgar to deal with—not him.

Finally, Derek willed his portal closed and found himself a comfortable seat on Blitz next to Alanah. He didn’t want her falling off, after all. Then, Edgar commanded Blitz forward, and they set flight back to Cydaria—to the capital.

Chapter 355: Because of how far away they were from where they left Edgar and the Void Travel portal, it took Derek and Alanah a lot longer to get back via Void Steps. Derek didn't mind, though, it gave him ample time to view his entire status sheet. Status Personal Information Name:Age:Level:Experience:Class:Race: Derek Hunt30227881,200,550,000/2,100,000,000,000Void Monarch MythicalHuman Void Health:Mana:Stamina: 376253750037625 Stats StrengthDexterityEnduranceVitalityIntelligenceWisdom Stat Points Remaining 111511151505150515001500 176 Contracts Alanah Swan Crown Restaurant Silvi Bonded Beast Stella Brighton Crown Restaurant No Proxy Torith Adventurer's Guild Rudolph Mckinney Natalie Savannah via Malorie Stewart Void Emporium View Contract View Status View Contract View Contract View Contract View Contract Skills Absolute Nullify Lv. 13, Bare Fist Specialty Lv. 1View Upgrades, Basic Repair Lv. 1, Chain Lightning Lv. 14, Channel Void Lv. 20, Cleaning Lv. 9, Cure Toxin Lv. 10, Dismantle Lv. 12, Enhanced Movement Speed Lv. 2, Greater Meditation Lv. 12, Identify Lv. 18, Magic Resistance Lv. 20, Mental Resistance Lv. 4, Multi-Strike Lv. 17, Physical Resistance Lv. 20, Polearm Specialty Lv. 2 Void's Harbinger, Rejuvenation Lv. 17, Spatial Collapse Lv. 1, Spatial Redirection Lv. 1, Spatial Rend Lv. 2, Sweeping Slash Lv. 20, Telepathy Lv. 8, Time Prison Lv. 15, Void Call Lv. 4, Void Creation Lv. N/A, Void Sense Lv. 20, Void Shift Lv. 10, Void Steps Lv. 14, Void Storage Lv. N/A, Void Travel Lv. N/A Skill Points Remaining: 15 Skill Upgrade Points Remaining: 0 Shared Skills from Companion: Active Void Shift Lv. 10, Void Lightning Bolt Lv. 10 Shared Skills to Companion: Void Sense Lv. 10, Void Travel Lv. N/A Skills Available to Share: Absolute Nullify Lv. 10, Channel Void Lv. 10, Time Prison Lv. 10, Void Call Lv. 4, Void Sense Lv. 10, Void Shift Lv. 10, Void Steps Lv. 10, Void Storage Lv. N/A, Void Travel Lv. N/A Achievements Greater Giant Slayer, Jack of All, Lesser Dungeon Explorer, Lesser Dungeon Traveler, Lesser Enigma, Lesser Enforcer of Oaths, Repetitive Dungeoneer, Minor Slayer of the Unknown, Solo Diver, Magical Glass Cannon, Meat Shield, Lesser Explorer, Offensive Powerhouse, The Bigger They Are First, he went over his skills. Absolute Nullify had leveled after the fight with the Starfury Leonarus, which made perfect sense, as it was vital in keeping the things ultimate attack at bay while Silvi got into position to roast it alive. He'd also gained another hard-earned level in Greater Meditation during the fight with the King of Astrus. Every time that skill gained a level, he became one step closer to being able to use it without it hindering his movements and reactions at all. His new Mental Resistance ended up at level 4 after everything. Not a bad gain for a skill in such a short time. I'll have to thank Alanah for that. With that thought, he looked over at the woman he was carrying. It seemed she was doing everything she could to keep her consciousness. She wasn't in any condition to talk at the moment. Her health and even mana could have been full, but whatever her transformation skill did, it took a lot out of her mentally. Derek faced forward and continued going over his skill gains. Unfortunately, those three skills, and Spatial Rend leveling once, which was a happy coincidence, seemed to be the only ones to level since the last time he checked. He had hoped to see Spatial Collapse or Spatial Redirection gain a level, but he'd barely used the new skills, so it wasn't enough. From there, he looked up and saw his new level. When he left the raid, he was level 223, so the combined experience he and Silvi gained from those in the army they'd killed and the king gave him enough experience or essence to level up four times. Those four levels translated to 140 extra stats points to use, leaving him with 176 after the level he gained from the Starfury Leonarus. Derek went ahead and dumped 175 points into dexterity, leaving him with a single free stat point left. He'd throw his next few levels' worth of stat points into strength to keep a good balance. Min-maxing was a great option with the system if you went endurance and vitality early on, but Derek had been noticing more and more that balancing his statsat least some of themseemed to be the better option as he grew stronger and met stronger people. Nodding at his new stats, he continued down to look over his contracts. Most of them were all unchanged. He still had both his Crown Restaurants with Alanah and Stella since he made them separately. The Torith Adventurer's Guild contract was blank since the death of Francesco Jaccobs. He wasn't really sure what that meant. Can the contract be nullified or something now? He shrugged. At the end of the contracts list, he found that the one that Malorie had made with Natalie finally showed the name of his shop, and he could also view the details if he wanted. With one last perusal of his status sheet, he stopped on his experience. The amount of experience he was needing was growing exponentially each level he gained. That's over two trillion experience needed per level, and for killing someone like the KING of an entire country with a definite high rarity class at level 250, I gained less than one trillion experience. This may take a while to hit level 250 now. Wait is level 250 still even my cap? He still had a lot of questionsnew questionsthat he would like to ask Dave about. But after his cryptic farewell, Derek wasn't sure he was ready to meet the man again anytime soon. With a shrug, Derek closed his stat sheet and focused on moving forward. He'd been able to get all his mana back in the time he'd been carrying Alanah to their destination, and his finger was even completely regrown. And because his fights weren't too draining, he was close to 100% mentally, too. He'd be ready to go again whenever needed. I wonder if any of the king's gear survived Silvi's fire. I bet he would have had something good inside any of the spatial rings he was carrying. But knowing the power of her fire, I doubt it. Derek lamented as he kicked off the void once again and continued his way to Edgar. One last look at Alanah, and he realized that she had fallen asleep. If's she's asleep, I guess she won't mind this. With that thought, Derek picked her up in a princess carry and continued moving. That's a much more comfortable way to carry someone as long as it doesn't end in death or torture afterward. Shortly after, Derek finally came in view of his portal he'd left active. And beside itbut at a very safe distance away from ithe saw Edgar standing on the back of Blitz, hovering in the air. When Derek got even closer, he realized that Silvi was actually sitting directly on top of the wyvern's head with a smug look in her eyes. Blitz, however, didn't look very happy about it, but also didn't seem to be willing to do anything about it. My small little bunny companion is a bully, Derek thought as he approached the trio. How'd it go? Edgar waved Derek over as he drew close. Derek landed on Blitz's back without ceremony, then gently laid Alanah down before looking back up at Edgar. I'm sure you've heard by now, Derek said, shifting his gaze to Silvi, who hadn't turned around. But Silvi took care of King Tevarian. So Astrus is now without a king. She did mention that, Edgar laughed. I had to pry it out of her, though. Alanah beheaded the general, so he or she is dead now, Derek said. Matthew Whitaker, Edgar replied, confirming that the general was a male. He was well known for his thick armor and quick movement in it. Well he wasn't quick enough, Derek said. Especially after I broke whatever spell the Indrian Duke was using to keep her voice from reaching them. I see, Edgar nodded. And the two dukes? You captured them? I did, Derek said. They are both in my Time Prison. Neither one of them is exactly doing well, but they should stay alive long enough for you to figure out what you plan to do with them. Oh, and you owe Alanah a Potion of Resurrection. She used it on the Duke of Astrus to keep him alive. We owe Alanah a lot of things. Edgar looked down at the unconscious half-elf woman. She has fought harder for the kingdom than anyone thought she would, including my father. I know they made her mad after what they did at some of the lesser Crown Restaurants, but after her showing in Savannah, I believe she could have sat back without worrying about anything else happening to her people. At that point, I'm sure Duke Elras would have deemed her and her associates off limits. But instead, she came to the front line and has been pushing herself harder and harder. Before, she would pass out as soon as she transformed back from a Dawn Siren. Now, she's gotten so used to the skill in our battles that she rarely loses consciousness afterward. Hmm Derek rubbed his chin. Maybe you could make her Queen of Indria. A half-blooded elf who is looked down upon by the full-blooded ones running an entire kingdom of them. There's a certain sense of irony in that. I'm sure my father would have no problem with doing that, Edgar said. And the prince started, with his eyes shining. We could make you King of Astrus. If there's one thing those people respect, it's strength. You'd be absolutely perfect for the job. Do you want another war? Derek asked, deadpanned. There was no way in hell he would take on the responsibilities for an entire kingdom. He wasn't even sure he was doing good enough with the few people he had with him. How would he manage an entire kingdom? Well I guess Malorie could do all the heavy lifting. And Alanah would be the same. I've spent enough time with the two of you to know that there's no way either of you would want to control a kingdom. That would be a burden for you instead of a reward. Exactly, Derek said. Though I wouldn't mind raiding whatever Astrus has in their kingdom's storage. And Alanah can have whatever Indria has. Those wouldn't be bad rewards whatever they are. Maybe Edgar chuckled. For now, we need to think about how to end this war. We've taken the first step by routing their army and killing or capturing the majority of their leadership. They'll be reeling soon, so we'll need to strike hard when we decide to do it. That shouldn't be a problem, Derek said. I've never been there, but I'm pretty sure I can open a portal directly into their capital city. At least, if that's where the duke's daughter lives. Derek had once unleashed his aura on the elven lady, so he should be able to find her if he focused enough. Should actually be much easier to find her than it was to find the old Silvi. That could be a good plan, Edgar said. But I take it that you can't bring anyone else with you if you do it that way? Right now no, Derek said. At least, nobody but Silvi. But I think I may have an idea that could work, and if it does, then I think me and Silvi would be able to bring one or two people with us. But that's all theoretical for now. I see, Edgar replied. We'll keep that plan in our pocket for now. I think it's best to go to the palace and have my father and brother figure out what to do next. I'm good at fighting, but dammit, do I hate the politics of everything. I can completely understand where you're coming from, Derek said, remembering all the times he refused to create a safe zone or town back when Earth was initiated into the system. He wasn't about to rule a town then, and he wouldn't stick his nose in politics now. Well, he wouldn't actively try to, at least. If whatever he does ends up have political repercussions then that's for Edwin, Edward, and Edgar to deal withnot him. Finally, Derek willed his portal closed and found himself a comfortable seat on Blitz next to Alanah. He didn't want her falling off, after all. Then, Edgar commanded Blitz forward, and they set flight back to Cydariato the capital.