26-35
Chapter 391: Growing Even Stronger!
Why am I being given so many to begin with? Is it because of how I'll need them a lot for the Skill Forge? Well, I guess I'll need them, yeah. But it doesn't change it from seeing a bit excessive. I'll be using them well anyways.
And about the EXP Potions... I have too many, I should just drink them all right about now to get rid of this one responsibility and move on, the Skill Points Phial as well.
In total I had around twelve potions that gave 100k EXP, which was around 1200000 EXP! I earned a bit too much, so I'm about to power level a tiny bit...
Ding!
[You earned 1200000 EXP!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Your Level has increased from Level 60 to Level 77!]
[All Your Stats have increased!]
[You gained Stat Points and Skill Points!]
[You consumed the [Skill Points Phial] x10!]
[You gained 250 Skill Points!]
[Player Name]: [Planta]
[Title]: [Young World Tree]
[Race]: [Yggdryad]: [Lv60/100] -> [77/100]
[Job Class]: [Yggdrasil's Spirit Farmer]: [Lv60/100] -> [77/100]
[Subclass]: [Spiritual Chef Alchemist]: [Lv60/100] -> [77/100]
[EXP]: [44000/77000]
[Satiation]: [200/200]
[HP]: [1870/1870] -> [2720/2720]
[MP]: [5000/5000] -> [6360/6360]
[STR]: [915] -> [1255]
[VIT]: [665] -> [1005]
[DEX]: [756] -> [1096]
[AGI]: [1154] -> [1664]
[INT]: [1519] -> [2029]
[WIS]: [1000] -> [1510]
[LUC]: [690] -> [1200]
[Race Skills: 11/12]
[Ancient Young Spirit of Yggdrasil: Lv6] [Photosynthesis: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Green Magic: Lv6] [Life Drain: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Daughter of Nature: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Spirit Magic: Lv6] [Spiritual Barrier: Lv15 (Evolved) (Max Level)] [Plant Synthesis: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Fairy Queen's Protection: Lv5] [Terrain Expansion: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Plant Companion: Lv10 (Max Level)]
[Job Class Skills: 12/12]
[Yggdrasil's Spirit Agriculture: Lv6] [Robust Body: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Spirit Farming Tool Mastery: Lv15 (Evolved) (Max Level)] [Terrain Manipulation: Lv15 (Evolved) (Max Level)] [Soil Domain: Lv15 (Evolved) (Max Level)] [Great Spirit Vessel: Lv5] [Spirit Ranch: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Spiritual Infusion: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Elemental Spirit Seed: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Spirit Fusion: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Tame: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Farm Animal Companion: Lv10 (Max Level)]
[Subclass Skills: 9/12]
[All Trades: Lv6] [Spiritual Cuisine & Alchemy: Lv3] [All Stat Super Boost: Lv10 (Fused Skill)] [Forest's Guardian: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Geomancer: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Plant Absorption: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Nature's Assimilation: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Farm Spirit Protection: Lv10 (Max Level)] [Cooking: Lv10 (Max Level)]
[Stored Skills (Unequipped): 4]
[Crafting: Lv1] [Alchemy: Lv1] [Fishing: Lv2] [Mining: Lv10 (Max Level)]
[Skill Points: 855] [Stat Points: 255]
[Equipment]: [Spirit of the Forest Robes] [Bracelet of Nature] [Great Spirit Crown of Harvest and Nature] [Seed Pouch] [Mushroom Hero Ring] [Mushroom Hero Bracelet] [Heavenly Ring of Life and Souls]
Huh?! This is a bit ridiculous, I earned like seventeen levels in one go?! I guess this is the power of accumulated EXP! And above all, I even gained a ton of Stats and Skill Points and Stat Points... Uwaah, what do I do with these? Should I add them up to STR?
"Hmmm, give it all to INT."
Suddenly, I heard the whisper of the Great Spirit.
"Huh? Why?"
"Once we get back home your stats will slowly begin to affect you- well, it had been doing for a while. I want to start helping you practice your magic at Earth, so you can get ready for whatever dangers might occur in the future. Don't you want to grow stronger as well?"
"Right... Just all to INT then?"
"Yeah, that'll do."
"Sure?"
"Yes, trust me, I am an old Great Spirit!"
"Okay, okay, don't get mad..."
Ding!
[You've exchanged 255 Stat Points!]
[You gained 255 INT!]
And like that, I got my INT increased even more. With this my magic power is even more powerful than before, making the damage dealt and effects greater. Also it feels like my mind becomes somewhat "faster" as my INT increases, like I can think more things at once than I used to be.
Maybe that helps me at multi-tasking the conjuration of Skills and Magic Spells more easily, isn't it? I don't know if it actually made me smarter, but being able to think more quickly does makes you be able to think more carefully, right? So I guess in perspective, it does makes me smarter...
Wait then why is Rita the same as before even with her class being an exclusive glass cannon with insane INT stats?! Geez she's the same happy-go-luck partygoer... Well, I still love my friend even if she's a bit hard to deal with at times. More importantly there's a few new items I wanted to check-
Ding!
[Due to achieving over 6000 MP and over 2000 INT at your current level, you've gained the [Magic Scholar] Title!]
[Magic Scholar]
Acquisition Conditions: Reach 6000+ MP and 2000+ INT before Level 80.
Equip Bonus: +1000 MP, +120 INT, +120 WIS, +40% Magic Damage
A Title given to only Players that have already decided to walk through the path of a Magician by increasing their MP and INT to even larger quantities. After reaching 6000 MP at your current level, not many that are within your level range can even compare to your immense quantity of MP.
Oh, amazing, it is a direct upgrade of the Developing Magician Title, no? Although it doesn't work at all times so I must either equip it or only receive a small percentage of its current bonuses. Nonetheless, the bonuses alone are great...
Ding!
[Due to your many outstanding achievements, you gained +200 MP, +100 INT, and +100 WIS!]
And did I just get flat stat boosts without even equipping a Title too?!
[Player Name]: [Planta]
[Title]: [Young World Tree]
[Race]: [Yggdryad]: [Lv77/100]
[Job Class]: [Yggdrasil's Spirit Farmer]: [Lv77/100]
[Subclass]: [Spiritual Chef Alchemist]: [Lv77/100]
[EXP]: [44000/77000]
[Satiation]: [200/200]
[HP]: [2720/2720]
[MP]: [6360/6360] ->[6560/6560]
[STR]: [1255]
[VIT]: [1005]
[DEX]: [1096]
[AGI]: [1664]
[INT]: [2284] -> [2384]
[WIS]: [1510] -> [1610]
[LUC]: [1200]
I did! Woah... Alright then, I guess these bonus stats are not "invisible" like those given by Skills or Titles, it is just a flat direct increase into my status much like leveling and Stat Points does, amazing!
Chapter 392: {World Boss}
Having that done, and while everyone enjoyed their feast happily, I quickly gave a glance to the new acquired items. The [Legendary Armor Piece Treasure Chest (S Grade)] x1, [Greater Spirit Elixir (S Grade)] x3, [Legendary Potential Cube (S Grade)] x5, and [Unique Gear Enhancement Scroll (A Grade)] x10.
[Legendary Armor Piece Treasure Chest (S Grade)] x1
A Special Legendary Treasure Chest gifted by the Gods themselves to a Player once a great achievement has been accomplished, such as defeating a powerful Boss Monster with a Level over 250. Has less than 1% chance to drop from high level bosses, occasionally given as a reward for defeating World Boss-level threats.
Opening it will grant a random armor piece of Legendary Rank of a random Grade, compatible with the user's Classes. The equipment comes enchanted with Special Effects can Self-Evolution.
[Greater Spirit Elixir (S Grade)] x3
A precious Healing Item said to have been created through the extraction of Divine Spiritual Essence from a Greater Spirit. Once used, it can revive a defeated player, heal their HP, MP and Satiation to 100%, heal any status ailment and debuff, and grants a buff for 24 hours that increases HP, MP, and Satiation Automatic Recovery by +500% and increases all stats by +150%.
Additionally, has the random chance to increase any stats by up to +100 permanently.
[Legendary Potential Cube (S Grade)] x5
A Powerful and Ancient Relic, a Potential Cube of Legendary Rank is capable of bringing the greatest potential out of the equipment it is used into, ranking their potential to Legendary Grade, the highest there is, which grants the most bonuses. Also automatically unlocks all Potential Lines and has very high chances to give special, high grade potential bonuses, although they're still random. An incredibly valuable enhancement item that only drops from Bosses of Level 250 and up.
[Unique Gear Enhancement Scroll (A Grade)] x10.
An Ancient Scroll engraved with mystical runes. A Gear Enhancement Scroll is capable of enhancing a Gear's stats and base effects with each usage, based in the Enhancement Slots, it has a limit. However, this Unique Gear Enhancement Scroll has a 100% chance of success unlike lower ranked scrolls and has higher chances of rolling for the best enhancements, although they're still random.
Woah, they're all amazing items! I can surely enhance my equipment with these guys, though it feels a bit bad if I use them on low-grade equipment, which is what I am mostly wearing aside from my weapon and a ring right now. Are these the prize for defeating a World Boss? Or is this just tied with my normal quest which escalated to this event?
As if to answer to that question, another system window popped up.
Ding!
[Congratulations [Player: Planta] for having ranked [First Place] in the World Boss Damage Rankings!]
[You've been recognized by the [The Gods] as an outstanding Player, keep working hard!]
[The Rewards for the World Boss Ranking have been decided!]
[You received the Title: [Number 1 World Boss Ranker]!]
[You received the Title: [God-like Player]!]
[Your outstanding achievements have rewarded you with +100 to all Stats permanently!]
[You received the following rewards: [1000000000 Gold], [+10000 Fame], [Legendary World Boss Themed Equipment Treasure Chest (S Grade)] x3, [Legendary Hidden Dungeon Key (S Grade)] x3, [Hourglass Of Calamity (L Grade)] x1, [Gaia's Divine Nectar (L Grade)] x1]
Uwaah! This is a lot of rewards-
Ding!
[The Gods have decided that the Rewards are not enough, their gratefulness knows no bounds.]
Huh? What's going on?
Do they want to give me more freebies? I guess its all fine by me but are you sure? Just leave it be guys
[The System has offered a new Reward.]
A new reward? What is the system even offering? Wait, the System is a separate entity than the Gods?
Wasn't it created by them?
No?
[The Gods are discussing it]
Wait, are you actually considering it?!
[The System says that the reward must also come with a responsibility based in the rate of growth and development of [Player Planta]
[The Player Planta's Patron, [Gaia], seems concerned.]
[The System insists it is for the "balance of the world" due to a great power gap left without the Demon King's existence.]
[The Gods say that the next Demon King might awaken soon, and without an equally powerful force to stop his rapid advancement, there won't be any hope]
EH? Wait, what are you on about?
[The Goddess [Gaia] says that she's sorry.]
[The [Gods] and the [System] have reached an agreement.]
Huh? What kind of agreement?
[You've been granted the additional [Special Title]: [World Boss Authority]!]
[You're now a [World Boss]!]
"EEEH?!"
Ding!
[You're the first Player to have even been granted the authority of a World Boss, congratulations!]
[You already possess most of the basic powers of a World Boss, such as [Territory Takeover] and [Territory Management], however, you will be granted new World Boss Abilities as you complete Quests.]
[If you want to become a respectable World Boss, you better begin Leveling Up, your Stats are still very low!]
[The Gods have great expectations on you.]
Did the Gods just thought that fighting fire against fire was a good idea so they made me a World Boss to fight other World Bosses?! Agh! This is not a good idea at all! Ya'll are insane! I am just a normal person at the end of the day! Ugh
Well, not anymore. I guess
Seeing this world being real and all, everything here is true then me becoming a giant tree, and the powers I possess now, they're not normal at all, even if back on Earth my normal human body remains, I am definitely not normal anymore.
"Please System at least leave this a secret!"
[The System has decided that your authority as a World Boss must be known globally.
"Do you want me to be hunted by every player or something?!"
[The System reassures Player Planta that the Players are not the real threat at all]
"Eh?!"
[The [Hourglass of Calamity (L Grade)] resonates The [Great Demon King of Death] will soon be reborn.]
[The Waves of Nether are beginning to emerge into the surface, the Gates of the Underworld are slowly opening][Time left: 30 Days]
Another one?!
Chapter 393: The Great Demon King Of Death Awakens!
TRUUUUUUUUMMMMMM...!
Just hours after the defeat of the Demon King of Miasma, the world began to shake once more. It hasn't even been an entire day before the presence of a being even stronger, even more frightening, and even more evil began to emerge from within the depths of the underworld.
The Underworld, an area mostly restricted to players, which contains powerful high-level monsters began to open, an enormous map just as big as the surface, filled with walking calamities and many Bosses above Level 100.
Enormous gates hidden in the underground slowly began opening, connecting the world of the living with the world of the dead, the [Gates of the Underworld]. The moment the gates began to open, incredibly slowly due to their massive size, enormous waves of Nether, a substance derived from Miasma but corrupted with the essence of Death itself began to pour into the world of the living.
FLUOOOOOSSSHH!
The disgusting, green-colored Nether started to emerge into the surface, exploding over the ground and quickly making small lakes and even rivers. Living beings in the surroundings had their vitality and life instantly drained out of them, as they quickly began walking once more... but now as Undead.
It was just the beginning, in 30 days, half of the entire world would be engulfed in Nether, and most of the living beings would become Undead, which would ultimately empower the awakening of their King.
The King of Death, the Aberrant One, the Lazy Sleeper, the Selfish, the Hollow...
He, the Great Demon King of Death!
An enormous titan made of bones stood still over a throne made of souls and rotten flesh.
His giant skull seemed devoid of any energy.
However...
FLASH!
Two small blue-colored flames emerged, flickering from within the eye sockets.
"My time... has come..."
The moment he spoke, the entire Underworld stood still, as if completely paralyzed by his very existence. All Undead living here began to celebrate seconds after, those that could speak, his loyal subjects, ran towards him, kneeling before his massive presence.
"Our Lord has woken up!"
"Our Lord of Death's rebirth!"
"We've been waiting for this moment all this time, ever since the other three Demon Kings appeared!"
"You, our greatest of all Demon Kings!"
"The King of Death...!"
"Lord Thanatos!!!"
"Hmmmm... Not enough power..."
The Demon King spoke, suddenly conjuring hundreds of souls by moving one of his bony fingers, an hourglass similar to the Hourglass of Calamity appeared before his sight.
"720 Hours... 30 Days..."
His subjects, which were millions, stood in silence as he spoke slowly.
"In 30 days... It should be enough."
His last words came accompanied by his Miasmic and Nether Powers flowing out of his body, enchanting his subject's powers and granting them great boosts in their levels, skills, and magic.
"Ooooh! 30 days!"
"Our lord has blessed us with his Divine Protection!"
"This power... I have not felt it in ages!"
"Your Majesty, please tell us what we must do!"
The Demon King began to laugh, crackling his jaws.
"Keheheh... You already know... What you must do." He spoke, raising one of his titanic bony claws, gripping his fist. "Kill, bring me souls! Death! Spread Nether... You know how to do this very well, don't you all, my loyal Undead Generals?"
The five figures smiled, of distinct shapes, their eyes overflowing with malice.
"Yes, your Majesty!"
The powerful Death Generals disappeared from the Demon King's sight like flashes of blue light and darkness. Although the Demon King himself was unable to do things by himself until he could fully be reborn, he was more than capable of sending his strongest underlings to spread even more destruction and death in the surface.
As a Demon King of Death, it was very clear that he could gain power by absorbing souls and the rotting corpses of those that die. The more undead exist in the surface spread by his powers, the strongest he will grow, and he bigger his stats will ultimately grow.
His eyes flickered, as their flames grew larger and larger with each passing second. His enormous body could still not move completely, but slowly, bit by bit, he felt like he could move some more.
FLASH!
However, as he began to rest until his awakening, he suddenly felt a powerful presence, although not equal to him, but that possessed an authority just as overpowering, and yet, the complete opposite of his powers. It had just been born and was granted a power similar to the one he held one upon his rebirth.
"This is... The World... Tree?! Impossible... Wasn't it destroyed... by the previous Demon King of Miasma, ?!" He muttered to himself, angered by the presence of a being that embodied life and nature, his complete opposite elements.
"Why... Why is it alive now?! Wasn't it... destroyed?! Ah..." The Demon king sighed, suddenly beginning to devour more and more of the souls of the dead, gaining their memories, and learning about this new... "Rehashed" World.
"I see... Players... a System... So this is the power... that has reborn me yet it... contains my powers? Strange... Is this also why the... Tree has been reborn? Detestable... Yet... Maybe I could abuse of this." He began to laugh, as he started planning his conquest of the world.
In the past, when he was defeated, the only thing he ever wanted was a second chance. And now... he has been finally given one, a second chance to not do the same mistakes as before, and to conquer the entire world, and have his revenge against the Gods.
"This world is filled with filth..." He said, with a terrifying voice. "I shall cleanse it... Once everything becomes Nether and Death, then everything shall be still. I will... save this world from its ultimate destruction and become... its sole ruler! Gahahaha... AHAHAHAHA!"
As the Fourth Demon King celebrated his rebirth, the Gods glanced from atop the heavens, concerned of what was about to happen.
"Only 30 Days is the most we can delay it?!" The God of Creation muttered.
"I am sorry, manager..." Sighed the Goddess of Darkness and Nights.
"If only... We could hold even a fraction of the true gods' powers..." Sighed Gaia.
Author's Note: And this is the end of Volume 7! I hope you liked it with its ups and downs. Now that Planta has acquired the World Boss Authority within Arcadia, how will she handle her new role? Also, back in Earth, new conflicts and dangers will slowly arise! And what will the new Demon King do now that the connection between Arcadia and Earth has been made? Will he simply sit down and wait for players to come to him?
Also make sure to read "Reborn as a Ghost" and "Reincarnated with a Glitched System" if you want to read more female main character LitRPG novels!
Chapter 394: I Am Both A [World Boss] And A [Charismatic Celebrity]?!
Ding!
[Congratulations [Player: Planta] for having ranked [First Place] in the World Boss Damage Rankings!]
[You've been recognized by the [The Gods] as an outstanding Player, keep working hard!]
[The Rewards for the World Boss Ranking have been decided!]
[You received the Title: [Number 1 World Boss Ranker]!]
[You received the Title: [God-like Player]!]
[Your outstanding achievements have rewarded you with +100 to all Stats permanently!]
[You received the following rewards: [1000000000 Gold], [+10000 Fame], [Legendary World Boss Themed Equipment Treasure Chest (S Grade)] x3, [Legendary Hidden Dungeon Key (S Grade)] x3, [Hourglass Of Calamity (L Grade)] x1, [Gaia's Divine Nectar (L Grade)] x1]
[You've been granted the additional [Special Title]: [World Boss Authority]!]
[You're now a [World Boss]!]
[You're the first Player to have even been granted the authority of a World Boss, congratulations!]
[You already possess most of the basic powers of a World Boss, such as [Territory Takeover] and [Territory Management], however, you will be granted new World Boss Abilities as you complete Quests.]
[If you want to become a respectable World Boss, you better begin Leveling Up, your Stats are still very low!]
[The Gods have great expectations on you.]
So at the end I became a World Boss The System explained to me that it was because of the next Demon King, apparently. But still, it felt excessive! Are the Gods really just planning to fight fire against fire? It won't really work as you think it will!
Also what does it entails to be a World Boss anyways? I thought it was all about just being a big monster with a near-endless amount of HP.
Wait
I looked back at my giant tree body and the total HP I could get when all my bonuses were added together.
Huh, maybe Maybe I do have the aptitude for it, I guess.
I even fought my daughter's avatar, which is incredibly high level, and even when she went all out she was unable to kill me. My HP just kept regenerating.
I guess that as long as I am within my Territory, I am quite invincible?
No I don't have to get so cheeky, the Miasma itself can kill me by devouring the nature where I draw power.
Ah, so many things to think about I just want to go to sleep for now though, too much to think. I should probably reassess everything tomorrow, or past tomorrow, or whenever I got free time.
A month is still quite a nice amount of time before the new world boss shows up, so it should be fine to sit and wait a bit longer, right?
I hope.
For now, however, I've got some other problems to deal with
Ding!
[Your [Fame] has reached above 10000!]
[You gained the [Charismatic Celebrity] Title!]
[You unlocked the [Dazzling Presence: Lv1] Skill!]
Eh?! I can gain Titles and Skills through having high Fame? That's new
Wait, I should also check the new items and Titles I get. I have to keep a cold headed approach at everything happening, or I won't be able to survive my paranoia.
[Number 1 World Boss Ranker]
Acquisition Conditions: Achieve Rank 1 In Damage Dealt Against A World Boss.
Equip Bonus: +50% Damage Bonus to Boss-type Monsters, +100% Damage Bonus to World Boss-type Monsters. 50% of Damage dealt against Boss-type and World Boss-type monsters is drained as HP and MP.
A Title given to the very few that have achieved an incredible feat. This Title's effects are always active even while not equipping it, granting an immense edge against all of the game's Bosses. A fitting a unique prize to someone that has reached this far, congratulations!
[God-like Player]
Acquisition Conditions: Defeat a Foe with a Level Difference of 100 or higher.
Equip Bonus: +250 STR, +250 INT, +50% Damage Bonus to Foes of higher Level than the Player, Cancels Level Difference EXP Restrictions.
A Title given to someone that has done the impossible, maybe through abusing the surroundings, their skills, or outright buying the best items with real cash. Whatever the case, you're already a god-like player by achieving such a feat, no matter how. The Title effects are active at all times.
Ding!
[You gained +250 STR and +250 INT as an effect of the [God-like Player] Title!]
Eh?! More stat boosts These Titles are absolutely insanely broken. I guess the Gods are giving me as much power ups before the next Demon King, that's appreciated.
And then, the big thing of the night
[World Boss Authority]
Acquisition Conditions: Be Selected as a World Boss by the Administrators and the System.
Equip Bonus: Every single thing you do will affect the [World's History] and Intervene with the [Fate's Matrix]. You can no longer turn off PVP. If an opposing force attacks your [Territory], All Stats +1000% and Ally Stats +250% for as long as the battle continues. While Leveling, Stat Growth and Skill Points and Stat Points earned +100%. You can now access special [World Boss Quests], the [World Boss Skill Tree], and the [World Boss Exclusive Shop]. You can now accumulate World Boss Points (WBP) to purchase from the [World Boss Exclusive Shop]. This Title Effects are always active.
A Title that has never been given before to a Player. It contains the basic powers of a World Boss, while also adding new Effects and Abilities specifically designed by the System and the Administrators. With them, they hope that you can become strong enough to protect this world from the incoming World Bosses. Beware, some Players may try to hunt you.
This is quite the double-edged sword. It grants so many things yet the drawbacks are just as terrible! I can't turn off PVP anymore?! Why?! Is it because I count as a Boss now? Ugh, yeah, I guess that must be it.
And
[Charismatic Celebrity]
Acquisition Conditions: Reach 10000 Fame or higher.
Equip Bonus: Unlocks the Charm Stat (CHM). Increases CHM by +500. Your Avatar becomes more beautiful. You're prone to get more attention. Bonuses are active even while the Title is not equipped.
A Title granted to true celebrities! Only those that got over ten thousand people kneeling before them can acquire this exclusive Title. It unlocks the special Charm Stat, which increases the wielder's beauty and also the attraction of both allies and monsters towards the Player. Some special Skills and Magic Spells scale with this new Stat, use it well, darling~!
Ding!
[You gained +500 CHM thanks to the [Charismatic Celebrity] Title!]
I-I see
Chapter 395: Finally Adding DarkReaper In My Friend List!
Ah, so many things Well, there's a last Skill, and that's it, so let's look at it and then
[Dazzling Presence: Lv1]
A Special Skill gifted to dazzling people. By activating it, it makes your presence incredibly dazzling, bringing the attention of foes to you, having a 50% chance for foes to target you. Additionally, there's a 20% chance for foes to feel infatuated and lose their composure, or even attack their fellow allies by being inflicted with the [Charmed] Status Effect. The effects and chances of successful Skill activation increase based in CHM (Charm) Stat.
Huh that's certainly a Skill for people that like attention or a perfect one for Tanks. Am I a Tank now though? Ah, most likely right? I mean there's Titan as the Tank but now that I've become this strong, perhaps I might also be considered one now that I think about it.
Checking my Status again, indeed, the Charm Stat was right there, it was at [577] which means I got the 500 from the title and then 77 more? Is it my level? So I got 1 Charm per Level. I guess this is one of those stats that remain relatively low compared to other stats?
Let's see more info about this
[Charm (CHM)]: A Stat that can be unlocked upon reaching 10000 Fame, it is a special Stat that influences Charm-based Skills and Magic, while also increasing your Likeness with NPC and your facial features, which might be beautified as your Charm raises more.
By having the CHM stat, allies fighting by your side will receive a stat boost based in how deep your relationship and friendship is with them, the higher the CHM, the more bonuses. Additionally, there's the additional effect of inflicting [Charmed] to foes with any attack based in the amount of CHM you possess.
"Interesting"
DING!
As we were all enjoying the feast and I was immersed in my own world, an announcement happened game-wide. Every active player and even NPC saw it.
[Congratulations to [Player: Planta] for becoming a [World Boss]!]
It was that simple
Yet it shocked everyone.
"Eh?! World Boss?" Rita glanced back at me with shock, while raising an eyebrow. "Is this thing for real?
"W-What in the world" Even Mark was flabbergasted. "Planta"
"W-World Boss?!" Nieve panicked.
"This is strange, why would Planta become a World Boss?" Titania asked.
"It doesn't really make any sense right?" Sighed the Gnome Chief.
"I don't get it, aren't World Bosses Well, not Players?" Lily wondered.
"That just changed today" Mark sighed.
"This is confusing but Lady Planta's still Lady Planta for me, so that's all that matters!" Acorn said, without a care in the world.
"Yeah why would we care about this?"
"In fact isn't it nice? If she's truly a World Boss, she'll be able to protect the forest even better!"
"We'll be serving a World Boss now, how amazing!"
"Is it like a Queen Title, maybe? I guess it makes sense the Gods gave it to her!"
It seems most of the people (NPC) took it very lax. Unlike Players they didn't really knew the full implications of this, and none of them knew the Demon Kings as "World Bosses" either.
However, the other Players here didn't took it so lightly. Angelina, Erdrich, Gandalf, and Anikitty dropped their jaws wide open, while my daughter and her friends were unable to comprehend this at all.
"S-She became a World Boss?!" Asked Angelina in shock.
"Holy shit a Player World Boss!" Erdrich said.
"Oh my god and we are her friends?! We literally were added to her friend list!" Anikitty said.
"This is the best day of my life." Gandalf said.
Don't you guys take things a bit too hardcore or something?!
"Err, just relax, it is just a title, I am not an overpowered boss or something" I sighed, trying to calm them down.
"But still! This is amazing! Great even!" Anikitty said. She was the cheekiest of the four and even she seemed entranced by the news.
"This calls for celebration." Angelina commented.
"But we're already celebrating!" I sighed. "Just calm down Take it easy! It's nothing crazy or something." I insisted.
"Why are you taking this lightly, Planta?! It is incredible! Celebrate! Go crazy girl!" Angelina said.
"I-I am tired I would prefer to take a nap!" I sighed, crossing my arms. "I'll deal with this later."
"T-This interesting Maybe I should try to slay you and get some loot now." Elena in the distance began to murmur, as if I couldn't hear her
"W-Wait don't do that! We just became friends!" Sighed her friend.
"Y-Yeah! Just calm yourself down." Sighed her other friend.
Anna and Elisa were good girls for trying to defend me, a total stranger. Well they don't know who I am truly, so it is impressive they're going so far.
"I was joking." Elena sighed, looking elsewhere. "Even when I went all out and she said she was defeated, her HP never really dropped to zero. If I ever want to kill her, I would have to aim for the big tree over there, isn't it?" She wondered.
"Ahahaha More or less?" I said. "Though it can regenerate!"
"I am well aware of that broken regeneration loop you've got. One day I'll find a way to overcome it." She said with a cheeky smile. "Until then we should log off, you three." Dark Reaper seemed tired.
"Eh? So soon?" Sighed Anna.
"Come on, I am also quite sleepy. A lot happened after all." Laughed Elisa.
"Ahh Finally, I can go to sleep" The green haired Brownie with them agreed.
"Can't I add you to my friend list by the way?" I asked before they left.
"Oh sure. I guess I should keep my enemies closer." My daughter said with a cheeky smile once more. She really liked to get into that role didn't she
Like that, I finally ended adding my daughter to my friend list, and even meet her and fought her in-game! It only took me to defeat a World Boss, phew
Chapter 396: Hollow
When I opened my eyes, it was already a new day. I ended logging off around 3 AM, I played too long. I was exhausted and dropped half-dead over my bed. I didn't had any time to check new things anymore, nor even to talk with the Great Spirit anymore either.
However, as I finally managed to rest, I felt like new! I stretched my arms and legs and the nice sun coming from the window was so warm and nice The more I received it over my brown skin, the more relieved I felt, it even felt tasty.
Wait, tasty?!
And then as I glanced back at my body, I felt shocked.
"EH?! W-What in the world?!"
My entire bed was covered on branches and leaves everywhere, even flowers, and tiny fruits were growing all over it! They all were coming out of my very own limbs?!
What?! Eh?! Huh?!
"Uwaaah! T-This can't be real!"
I jumped off my bed and torn apart all the branches and leaves from my body. It hurt a bit when I did it, and even blood came out- no, it was sap?! W-What the heck?!
I went to look into my mirror and saw my body was the same as ever? But a few parts of my brown skin were even more brown and had a wood like feel to it.
One of my eyes was gold too.
"Why?! Is my body mutating or something?! Great Spirit! Can you hear me now?!"
"I can!"
Suddenly, I heard her within my mind.
"Calm down for a bit you dummy! Or your daughter's going to wake up and see this whole mess!"
"A-Ah Right, but is the other world affecting my own body too?!"
"Something like that."
"Something like that?"
"Well I I did it while you were sleeping. I thought it was about time right? You already went through the fever of Mana so you can accept Mana in your body, so I just grabbed a bit of your original power and mine and planted it into your heart and body."
"HUH?! Why do you do that to my body without my permission?! And why would I need this power in the modern world anyways? Not like there's monsters walking around-"
"Meow."
Suddenly, I heard little blackie, who woke up from his nap, he was sleeping over my bed.
"Eh? Blackie! Wait, what's going on?!"
"MEEEREOOW!"
Blackie hissed at me!
"Why are you hissing?!"
"HISSSS!"
However, I quickly realized it was something else, he wasn't hissing at me.
But something behind me.
A shadow slowly loomed in my back, emerging right at the side of my window.
"They're here! Elayne, dodge!"
The Great Spirit alerted me, but my reflexes were somewhat faster, I quickly jumped away from my current possession, as I saw a monstrous, distorting figure emerging from my very own shadows!
What the heck?!
This is not that world anymore!
W-Why are there monsters here?!
"OOOOOOOHHHH TASTYYY."
Suddenly, the shadow began taking a larger form, resembling a distorting set of faces and red eyes. It even grew two large and muscular arms and legs, and it seemed utterly bizarre!
"W-What is that thing?! Who are you?!" I panicked.
"Heheheehh So much Mana so rich! I will eat good today! Kekekeke" It began giggling.
Suddenly, I felt the power of the Great Spirit flow into my hands, which turned into
Spears made of sharp wood?! Uwah! This is freaky when compared to the game!
"Give me GIVE ME YOUR MANAAAAA!"
FLAAASH!
The enormous aberration jumped straight towards me. His entire body distorting into a gigantic hand and trying to catch me with it!
"Stay AWAY!"
I screamed my lungs out, unleashing several spikes made of wood out of my body almost automatically. I felt the Mana flow through my body and then explode.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLAAAASH!
"GRUAAAGH!"
The shadow thing growled, suddenly stepping back as he was pierced by my wooden spikes, which then exploded upon contact, unleashing green and yellow light, which seemed to consume his entire body for some reason.
"Uuunnggh! It hurts!" He groaned, looking at me with countless of distorting and despairing faces. "Mommy Daddy!"
Suddenly I saw the face of a little girl crying within the countless of faces it held.
"What what the heck is this thing?!"
"That's a Hollow!" Said the Great Spirit. "A combination of Negative Energy and Emotions which meld with Lingering Mana in the environment. I've felt their presence in this city since I arrived here. However, this is the first time they dare attack you, they're usually oblivious It must be because of your rich Mana, which they feed on."
"H-Hollow?" I asked in shock.
"They were not really that many before! I think the invasion of the Demon King brought tons of Mana to the whole world, causing their rapid birth. Cities are their breeding grounds, the daily lives of people, the stress of jobs, everything adds up into negative energy humans exude." Sighed the Great Spirit. "Now finish it off while its weakened!"
"GRAAAAAH!"
The Hollow suddenly wanted to take advantage of the pity I felt for it, suddenly jumping off the floor and spreading its body, countless tentacles popped out of its body, quickly trying to catch me with its amorphous body once more.
CLASH! CLAAASH!
Its body caught me between its tentacles, as I tried to resist, but it was stronger than I expected. Suddenly, I began feeling my Mana slowly getting sapped away
"Gihihihii So yummy! So-"
"If Mana's what you want Take all of it!"
I made my hand grow five times its size, punching the Hollow on its countless faces with all my strength and mana!
BAAAAAMMMMM!!!!
"GRYYYAAAGGGH!"
Its body suddenly began to distort, until it exploded into black particles.
SPLAT!
"Hahhh Ugh" I sighed, gasping for air, and looking down.
The only thing the Hollow left behind was a small, purple-colored jewel.
"I really can't take a break, can't I?" I sighed.
Chapter 397: Elayne Became A Magical Girl?!
"Hahh What a mess that was." I sighed, while taking a warm shower to relax and calm down.
I already cleansed the room from my branches and leaves, leaving them inside a black trash bag. The Great Spirit told me I shouldn't throw them away, as they were "precious materials" so I just left them there for now.
And as of the Hollow incident Yeah, it didn't left a single thing behind, the entire black body was something ethereal, the only physical thing was its core, which the Great Spirit called "Hollow Crystal".
I was looking at it right now while taking a shower.
"Hollow Crystals are the crystallization of the residual mana and the negative emotions. It is the only part of a Hollow that's actually physical." She said. "It is also a good material and a source of filthy mana, which can be purified and reused!"
"How do you know so much about a world you don't belong to?" I sighed, wondering the most normal thing. "And were there monsters in planet Earth all this time?!"
"Well, not even I know everything. I do know Hollows because they're from my world as well. Usually cities have churches in them, right? Well that lets hollows not form naturally. Even small villages have idols imbued with holy magic from the gods so they don't show up out of nowhere." Sighed the Great Spirit. "But in here? Well, your churches don't work, that god you guys pray to doesn't even exist to begin with so-"
"Hey, don't just talk about Religion like that!" I complained.
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I guess your people's faith does go somewhere But I don't think it's the god you imagine. In fact I doubt it even has a consciousness." Laughed the Great Spirit.
"Okay I am really interested into that too but let's not change the topic" I said.
"Right" She said. "So anyways, Hollows can't be seen by normies, people without internal Mana won't be targeted by them either. They act like people don't exist until they find someone with Mana."
"So I'll be targeted even more now?!" I sighed.
"Not as easily now. I just finished preparing a barrier for you, it extends all around you for like 50 meters? Should be enough. Only very strong ones could break through it." She assured me.
"Ah, you finished it already When?" I asked.
"Just now."
FLAAAASH!
Suddenly, a flash of Mana emerged out of my body, spreading all around the house and the surroundings as well. Suddenly, I heard the sound of something saying "GRAAAAH!" And then it disappeared.
"That must've been a Hollow, poor guy got hit hard." Laughed the Great Spirit.
"Sigh" I sighed once more, feeling rather hollow myself. "Is Earth not as I thought? Ugh, it's this clich right?"
"Yep!" The Great Spirit laughed. "Man it feels nice to talk to you more freely! I don't know much about Earth myself either, I only know what I see through your eyes. But I am PRETTY sure that there's tooons of stuff in here that don't seem like they truly are. And the other world trying to break into this one doesn't make things easier either. Whoever had been hiding their magical powers and other supernatural things in this world might begin to realize they have to show them off if they want to stand a chance for what's to come."
"I don't really want to get involved with suspicious magicians or martial artists, thank you" I sighed.
"You don't really have to, just live your normal life for now." The Great Spirit said. "Let's enjoy the week too!"
"You seem way too carefree" I commented.
"I am just trying to cheer you up girl." She said. "Don't worry about Hollows, with them out of the picture you can enjoy yourself nicely and relaxedly."
"Yeah, I'll try But still, knowing there are weird monsters lurking around really makes me feel Quite worried. I feel like Well, I dealt with that one fairly easy, right?" I asked.
"You had to spend over half your Mana for it! Your real-world fighting techniques are terribly lacking. Well, you just summon spirits and smack stuff with a shovel in the other world so makes sense." She said.
"H-Hey! So how weak am I compared to my other world body?" I asked.
"VERY! Like 1% as strong?" She said. "No, that's a bit too little, okay, 5%."
"Ah well, that's still strong though! Isn't 5% of Level 77 a lot?" I said.
"Yeah! Look at the bright side! You're now so strong you could beat any normal person, even supernatural people would be afraid of you." Laughed the Great Spirit. "To an extent, your greatest weakness is your lack of fighting techniques, insight, and Mana, we need more Mana."
"How does this power sharing thing works?" I wondered.
"It works very slowly, so don't rely too much on it. But yeah, you do get a constant Mana supply from your other body." She said. "However The transfer rate is quite slow."
"Ugh, I sure wish there could be a system to specify things to me more easily with numbers. Having to guess how much I have is a pain." I said.
"Don't worry. Let's say you've got 500 MP, fighting the Hollow just spent 250. Now you're recovering 1 point every second." She said.
"Every second? So in just a few minutes I can fully recover?" I asked in surprise.
"Yeah it's an insane rate for this world's lack of Mana wielders." Said the Great Spirit.
"And yet you ask for more?!" I asked.
"Well, from now on we'll be trying to make this body stronger as well! Oh girl, I've got you a ton of tasks and things you can do, such as Body Reinforcing Magic Circles, Potions, and all sorts of other things we can do! I'm going to make you as strong as my original world counterpart- Or well, I'll try." She said. "How about we start with the basics then?"
"The basics?"
"Let's make a Magic Circle in your heart!"
"Eh?!"
Even my normal life back on Earth has been turned upside down
Before making a magic circle, I asked the Great Spirit if it could be possible to give magic power to others, such as Elena. And she said it wasn't possible for the moment.
"No! NO! You can't do THAT... Yet. But dont worry, as long as you learn magic, we'll be able to protect them with Anti-Monster Charms and Enchanted Magic Protection Spells."
"O-Oh..."
"Also! Don't betray the Gods' trust! What you know cannot be revealed to anybody! Only Mark, Rita, and Lily know for now, and they want it to remain THAT way for now, okay?"
Also, she reminded me that the Gods wouldn't take it so easily if I did, and it seems perhaps only Mark, Rita, and Lily would be allowed to learn for now. If I spread information to others, even my daughter, I might lose the trust with the Gods.
"I understand." I nodded. "But this... cannot simply remain a secret forever, right?"
However, considering the future, if the opportunity arises, I will try to give her the ability to protect herself. Thankfully, Hollows don't attack non-Mana-wielding humans, so maybe its safer to just not allow other people to use Mana for now.
"Indeed, but for now, let's leave it at that. Don't be impatient."
"Yeah, let's focus on what we can do now."
For now, I want to focus on growing stronger, figuring out magic, and do some protection magic and charms, which the Great Spirit said could help me protect my daughter and all those I care for, as long as I get enough Magic Power... Through this Magic Circle thing.
"Elayne, what are you doing thinking in there? Let's quickly get this done with!"
"Ah, right!"
Chapter 398: Creating An Internal Magic Circle
Once I finished taking a bath, I quickly decided to sit down over bed. I looked at the black crystal I got from the Hollow, merely named Hollow Core, and then sighed. I gotta get ready to go the countryside with Elena and Mark, and everyone else we ended inviting with us, but I can't help but feel curious about what the Great Spirit is scheming.
"That Hollow Stone can't be used easily, its corrupted, if you try to absorb it you'll get poisoned, you're especially frail against poisons and curses due to your attributes being Nature and Life." The Great Spirit explained.
"So?" I wondered.
"We're using the very branches and leaves you left behind!" She said, quickly emerging in front me in her carrot-shaped form, she really spooked me there.
"Uwah! Hey don't do that out of nowhere Agh." I sighed. "Anyways, you're saying this will help me be stronger? As long as I don't get attacked anymore by those things Sure, let's get to it."
"Alright! I like that spirit of yours, Elayne." She patted my head. "Anyways, pick up these branches and do as I say."
Like that, I ended forming a whole magic circle over my bed, all thanks to her because I had no idea about magic circle formation. She said things about how the System facilitated everything, and that in ancient times people utilized runes and magic circles to bring out magic, not just Skills.
The magic circle can only be made out of magic materials, but we lacked them, so instead of that, I used my own blood, which comes out as sweet honey-like sap from my fingers whenever I will it, and branches and leaves I had left behind.
"Hmm! This should be more than enough, now just sit in there." She said, as I quickly sat down, sighing nervously.
"H-How exactly does this works?" I asked.
"Every magician gotta have a magic circle inside of their hearts, it is the way they can grow stronger and develop newer and stronger magics." She said. "To engrave it, we'll use this Engraving Magic Circle. You see those runes around? They'll connect to your arteries and easily reach your heart."
"Ooh! Seems complicated, but at the same time rather easy?" I asked in surprise.
"Yep! Though" She said, looking back at me. "There's another easier method!"
"Easier? Which one?!" I asked.
"Well, opening up your chest and then just engraving the circle directly into your beating heart, kekekeke" She began to laugh, her eyes glowing redder.
"W-What?! I don't want that method!" I complained.
"Well what a pity, we'll have to go for the harder one then But the magic circle's already done, so let's begin without further delay." The Great Spirit quickly moved outside the magic circle. She seemed to have taken a slightly physical manifestation of her body, which had drained a bit of my Mana in the process, but not everything.
Like this, I can have her as my assistant of sorts and she can also physically interact with things around her to an extent. Naturally, she has her own Mana Pool, although it is limited, but she said she was going to use it for this.
"Ready?" She asked.
"Yes? Is it going to hurt?" I asked, perhaps too late now.
"Only a bit dear. Don't you worry~!" She said while giving me a wink.
"T-That's not really reassuring-"
"[Magic Circle Engraving]!"
FLAAAAAASH!
Without even being able to get a better explanation, she activated the Magic Circle. I saw the entire formation light up as runes emerged of all shapes and sizes, flowing across the floor and then reaching my own body, moving across my skin and then entering the interior of my body.
And that's where I felt it. An excruciating pain! It felt like I was having needles piercing below my skin, and each time the runes went through my arteries, the amount of needles multiplied.
"Aagh! Ouch! I-It hurts!"
"Stay still!"
"Okay!"
When the runes finally reached my chest, it felt like I was being shot in the chest by bullets! Like someone was holding a gun and shooting at my chest! And the worst part was the pain in my heart! Each rune reached my heart agonizingly. I was gritting my teeth as I resisted my body's impulse to break apart into pieces due to the agonizing pain.
"Unnnggh! AAAGH!"
"Almost there! Wait a bit more There!"
The Great Spirit flew towards my heart, suddenly infusing her Spiritual Essence and engraving the magic circle directly into my beating heart by utilizing each rune as a part of it. It only lasted a few seconds, but I almost passed out due to the pain
"Uuunngggh!"
FLAAAAASH!
Another flash of green and golden light emerged, this time, the last one.
BAAM!
I dropped half-dead over the floor, gasping for air, yet somehow, my fatigue was slowly recovering, as I felt something slowly rotating around the interior of my body.
"T-This is?!"
Suddenly, my vision changed, as I found myself floating inside a black space. I looked everywhere I could, but I only found darkness And then, I saw it. A majestic magic circle. It floated right in front of me.
"I've made a special one." The Great Spirit said. "Heheh, I am proud of this one for once in my lifetime!" She said pridefully. "It has over a hundred runes, each one connecting to a different Spirit, Nature, Life, and Earth Spells Runes. With this you've got the basics covered up."
"Wait, spells?!" I asked.
"Of course. Spells can be used more easily and with lesser Mana if you engrave them into your Mana Circle! Also, every single Spiritual Rune counts as a hundred Runes of every element. The more runes you have, the stronger your magic becomes." She said pridefully.
"E-Eh? Wait this means?!" I asked in surprise.
"Yep, your strength should be comparable to a Tier 3 Magician even though you're Tier 1. I am amazing, aren't I? Just tell me I am amazing! Ohohohoho!"
Woah I don't really know what that means, but I guess it's great.
Chapter 399: Blackie's My Familiar?!
"So here's the thing! Magicians have Ten Tiers, each Tier depends in the amount of Magic Circles they've got. Ultimately they require a certain amount of Runes to Tier up and get another circle in their Magic Circles, get it? Right now you've only got a single Circle, but because we've cheated and added Spirit Runes, which are virtually impossible for any human to create, you're as strong as Tier 3 while being Tier 1! Boom! We're already dominating this game girl!" The Great Spirit laughed.
"A-Amazing I guess the pain's worth it- Huh?" I suddenly noticed Blackie was over the bed crunching something on his mouth.
"Nom Crunch"
"Eh? Blackie what are you eating- AH! The Hollow Stone?!" I asked in horror.
"Wait! Blackie stop! Spit that out!" I tried to stop the adorable neighborhood cat that often slept at my bed, but he had swallowed it all. He was prone to eat weird things. I oftentimes remember him eating lettuce, tomatoes, bread, or even raw potatoes.
"Meow" Blackie pretended he didn't do anything bad, and acted cute. I caressed his black fur as I sighed.
"Will you not get sick?" I sighed.
"He might die at any moment." The Great Spirit said.
"EH?! Blackie! Spit it! Spit that out!!!" I cried.
"Meeeooooww!"
Suddenly, Blackie began to spasm, his entire body beginning to tremble around, falling into the floor.
"No! Blackie! [Healing Light]! Ah, drink my blood! Drink this sap!"
Healing light wasn't working, he seemed to be still spasming. I quickly gave him my own blood in the form of a sweet sap. He quickly began licking it, because he was as glutton even in the verge of death, of course!
"Mereooow"
"Oh! What is this?! Its working somehow?!"
The Great Spirit seemed surprised, even though our lovable cat almost died! Can't she be a bit more sensitive?
"Meow Mao" Little Blackie began to meow while the pain seemed to be slowly going away, his beautiful green eyes shone brightly, suddenly, I sensed something.
A connection.
His soul, or something, emerged, generating a thin thread, which wrapped around my own.
FLASH!
Suddenly, Blackie began shining brightly, and then, a small rune emerged on his forehead, resembling a flower, a red rose, which then dissipated, or became invisible.
And then, as if nothing had happened, he carelessly began licking his balls.
Cats, I guess.
"You formed a Familiar Contract with Blackie!"
"Eh?! I did?!"
"Yeah! Amazing! Like this you were able to counter the poison of the Hollow Stone, and even made him evolve into a Magic Creature!"
"T-That's just happened."
"Yep! Now he should be able to understand your orders and even do them, as long as you supply him with a bit of Mana each day. He's a magic cat! You've got yourself a magic black cat and you're a magician, you're literally a Witch now!"
"A-Alright Ahem! Blackie Erm, show me your powers dear."
He suddenly glanced at me with a bored expression.
Then, he continued licking his balls.
"Hey! Obey me!"
He didn't even looked back this time.
"Seriously?"
"Give him some incentive, will you? Animals don't respond to commands without a reward."
"Alright"
With the great spirit's words, I quickly brought Blackie a small sausage.
"Here, you love these don't you?"
"Meow!"
Blackie immediately got happy, eating it up, and then I showed him a second one.
"Want more, baby?"
"Meooow! Mereooow!"
"Alright then, but first, show me what your powers are!"
"Meow!"
Blackie suddenly glanced into his own shadow, reflecting into the walls, which slowly began growing and growing and growing!
FLUOSH!
And then, a two-meter-big cat monster-shaped shadow emerged!
"GRAAAARR!"
"Oooh! He has Shadow Manipulation! He probably inherited it from the Hollow Core! Great!" The Great Spirit was happy.
"Amazing" I felt flabbergasted. Who would had thought our little Blackie would become my first Familiar in Earth Now, I wonder if he can do more than that though. "What more? Come on, this sausage is waiting for you!"
"Meow Mao!"
Blackie suddenly began disappearing, diving inside of his own shadows! The only thing I could see were his two little green eyes. And he was able to move towards any surface in his own Shadow.
"Ooh, that's great- Uwaah!"
FLASH!
Suddenly, Blackie dragged me inside of his shadows, as I suddenly was submerged into a completely black space. Ugh, there's no oxygen here?! Yet Blackie's fine in here Wait, as long as I hold my breath, I could travel around like this though!
"Phew!"
I quickly dragged myself out of Blackie's shadows.
"Here, well done dear!"
I gave him his sausage, as he happily devoured it.
"Isn't this a great day? You've got yourself a magic circle and an useful familiar! You're all set for your paranormal activity's investigations!" The Great Spirit said while winking back at me.
"Eh? I would rather not bother doing anything dangerous." I sighed.
"Mooom! Are you awake yet?"
Knock, knock!
Suddenly. I heard a knock in the door. When I went to look for Blackie's treats, she was taking a shower in the other bathroom, but I guess because I haven't come out yet, my daughter think I am still sleeping.
"Ah yeah, I am awake! I am awake!" I quickly opened the door, greeting my daughter. "You seem eager to go visit your grandpas, Elena!"
"Not really" She sighed. "But I invited Anna and Elisa at the end, so we've gotta do it. Huh? you feel a bit strange."
"Strange? H-How?" I wondered.
"I don't know Your hair's always been this clear? And your eyes are shiny." She said while wondering.
"M-Must be your imagination, hahaha!" I laughed nervously, giving her an hug and a kiss in her cheeks. "Anyways! Want some pancakes?"
"Sure. I'm starving." Elena smiled back.
Like that, we enjoyed a nice breakfast while watching TV, the "First Contact" incident was all over the TV channels.
"I can't believe this happened Monsters? A portal to another world? This seems super crazy, is this real or some sort of TV show thing?" Wondered Elena. "Feels so fake"
"Yeah Dunno. But we better be careful dear." I sighed.
"Careful of what? Not like a monster is going to pop up out of thin air or something, it's not a game mom" Elena rolled her eyes. She was incredibly skeptical.
"Hahaha Y-Yeah" I laughed slightly nervously.
I couldn't reveal her the truth yet, I knew as her mother that she wasn't prepared to bear with it, nor I wanted to expose her to any dangers.
Chapter 400: The World Is Slowly Changing
Seeing the news and all It really reminded me that the world might have changed even more than I imagined. No, it has already changed forever. Since I woke up this morning that nothing seems like before yet I have to bear with it and keep moving on. I have my own life here, and everything else. I cannot just sit here idly and just worry endlessly; it is not like me.
"Hmm, things might get a bit iffy in the future." The great spirit communicated through telepathy.
"Iffy?" I wondered.
"Now that this world has been exposed to such large quantities of Mana, it is obvious that it is going to change at a faster pace than ever before." She said. "For starters, this world already had some Mana, albeit little and hidden here and there. There were probably magicians, or other supernatural beings, but they were so few that it was easy to hide them from the public's eyes."
"Now that changed." I sighed.
"Yeah, the Hollows are just the beginning of this. So much Mana entered the world that things are only going to progress faster. People might slowly begin to harbor mana inside, and they'll start to get attacked by the Hollows until their existence becomes public." She said. "And aside from that"
As we had breakfast, the great spirit suddenly channeled a bit of her spirit energy into my senses and directed them into the planet's crust.
FLASH! FLUOSH! FLUOOOASH!
And then, I sensed it.
It was like an endlessly furious sea, waves clashing against one another without end.
"T-This is?"
"Mana, all the mana the planet's crust ended capturing inside is now clashing against each other. This will slowly give birth to even more dangerous things. Ugh."
"Damn it If only we could had stopped him before"
"Nah, don't beat yourself over it! You did your best, Planta, it's not your fault. I believe this would had happened sooner or later."
"Sooner or later?!"
"Yeah I just felt it, don't ask me too much, I am just as clueless as you are!"
As I had a chat with her through telepathy, Elena tilted her head.
"Mom you've been silent for a while, you seem not hungry either? Is everything fine? Are you sick again?" Elena asked with a worried expression.
"Aww My baby, you were worried about mommy? Don't worry I'm fine, just sleepy. But it has been a while since you've asked me that!" I felt happy she was being such a responsible daughter.
"Well, I just learned a few things when I had a chat with Mark when you were sick." She sighed.
"Oh?" I felt surprised, she never told me about that.
"Yeah, I kind of got a bit reprimanded by him. At first I was really angered but I kind of get it now. I've been careless. Back then I was angry at you for no reason and over the years, it just got worse and ugh, this is hard to talk about S-So anyways, I am I just am worried so just tell me if you're feeling sick or something." Elena stuttered a lot while trying to convey her words, I smiled more as she said everything, feeling my heart growing lighter.
All the worries in the world flew away in an instant as I heard her considerate words. I knew it was hard for her, but the intention was what mattered. Seeing her change like this it brought me so much joy I could even go against everything.
"I-Is that so, dear? I I am glad you care for your mommy." I gave her a head pat. "I love you lots and lots!"
"Uwaahh! D-Don't head pat me, I am not a kid anymore!" She complained while getting redder in embarrassment.
"You will always be mama's little princess!" I said reluctantly.
I guess I just needed some daily dose of the cutest daughter in the entire world to feel better! It really feels like all my worries flew away. Elena is the best medicine for my depression. Thinking that I am her mother, it makes me feel stronger, like I just have to!
Maybe it's something instinctual that all mothers have? Well, whatever the case. I should face the upcoming challenges not with fear, but with bravery and at the same time cautiousness. I'll protect her no matter what.
"Geez, I shouldn't had said anything" She crossed her arms. "Anyways, I just got a message from Elisa, she went to pickup Anna and they're on their way. Weren't you inviting Mark and Rita?"
"R-Right!" I quickly checked my phone, finding a few unread messages.
And additionally, Rita had just made a group chat with me, Mark, and Lily which she named "Rita's gang". What is she on about? Are we her gang now?
I checked each person's unread messages and promptly answered them.
[Mark]: [I know a lot happened last night The fights, the stakes, the truth, and all But it should be better if we try to slowly process it for now, Elayne.]
[Mark]: [I'll wait for your heads up over going to your parent's house in the countryside. Whenever you tell me its all fine, I'll get there. If you don't want to, that's fine too, don't sweat it. I hope we can meet to talk about everything that happened. I hope that you're alright.]
[Mark]: [Ah, by the way, Rita made a chat group. Just check it out.]
[Elayne]: [Ahhh! Yes Mark, I am sorry! I just overslept! Please come to my house so we can all gather! We're going to my parent's house through one of my daughter's friend's car, so come as soon as you can! Sorry, I am really sorry! We can talk about the stuff later as well.]
Even after what happened last night he's still as insecure as ever. I guess he was mostly putting himself on my shoes. Yeah, what happened was harsh, but I won't just decide to cancel this whole trip for that!