Reid spent days alone in the woods. Truly alone. He worked to keep his emotions tight to himself, to not allow Nyx to be disturbed by his feelings. He made sure his stat affixation work didn't tire him out too much, so she wouldn't feel that either. When she proclaimed herself ready to go back, he obliged without question. If she'd wanted to share more, she would have.

He did not get the same treatment. Brinkha, Gerald, and Norton were all incensed that Reid had off and walked into the woods without saying anything to them, and peppered him with enough questions that he nearly walked off into the woods again. Hugo and Vidita had heard his original departure, but didn't register it until he was gone. They'd made good use of their time, and showed impressive progress in Hugo's work.

Viditia had basic structural elements to her soul, now, that would provide her a deterrent to a weak soul mage. It wasn't quite the same as Hugo's - instead, there were diagonal supports attached to a central solid piece, like a wood gate with cross-bracing. Reid didn't really get the reasoning behind doing that much work to resist a magic that was almost never seen, but it at least gave Hugo experience and greater skill. While he was gone, the trio found out about Hugo's work with Vidita - and even got a volunteer. Brinkha imagined the soul structure treatment would be a way she could end up more useful or resilient - to take on more things that would get her paid and help her find her sister. She also seemed more willing than Gerald or Norton to ingratiate herself to Hugo and Vidita. They still hadn't realized Hugo's true identity, but getting in good with nobles was a path to safety and comfort. Reid didn't try to volunteer himself for the job.

Reid continued his own slow progress alongside Hugo, Vidita, and the trio. Before he knew it, he'd reached the top of his potential for his level once again.

Constitution: 597 -> 610 Dexterity: 599 -> 610 Intelligence: 592 -> 610 Perception: 590 -> 610 Power: 605 -> 610 Control: 610

Some quick mental math also told him he'd made it over 3,000 total stat points between the five basic stats. Part of him wished that milestone came with an achievement, but he wasn't going to be sour about that. He was orders of magnitude stronger than someone should be at his level, and that was definitely enough.

He also felt like he was getting closer to understanding multiple conduits, but failed to fully grasp them and hadn't created any new ones within himself.

He did find time to create, though.

Brinkha, Gerald, and Norton each got new versions of their weapons, bonded, with growth and self-repair. He had to stop himself from giving the weapons more than three traits. He liked the trio, but putting more 'secrets' in their hands wasn't a wise move. He also gave Vidita a knife and armor, and gave Hugo a new set of armor. The prince refused a knife, and Reid didn't know what else to make him, so the armor had to suffice.

Requiem, Bonewall, and Brock were all recalled and put into storage. He fully recreated Battery Band - which had been lost to the magma when his hand melted. Last, he'd spent days on end feeding energy into his destitute armor. What had looked like a pile of broken shards slowly reformed itself with a combination of a tremendous amount of energy, and Reid's direct intervention to repair pieces that were too far damaged to do so on their own. Creating a new set of armor would have been quicker, but Reid was dedicated to the task, and saw it through.

It felt good, and right, to have his full kit back. He'd put all the pieces on when he was done, just to test them against themselves. Marrow, his armor, clung to him even tighter now, like a second skin, and had gained a bit of better structure that mirrored what he learned when he first made his shield. Bonewall hung sideways on his back, now smaller than it had been for the magma crab fight, but still big enough for him to crouch behind and achieve full cover. He'd added more mass to his mace, and new names in the handle. Brock sat on his pauldron as before, but the socket for it was moved up to the top to make it easier to grab with either arm.

Reid was recovered. His stats and his kit were good to go. His internals were solid.

And that meant it was time for final tests, and goodbyes.

#

Gerald swore as he bumped into Norton, but both men recovered. Reid gave a near-imperceptible nod. A few weeks ago, that would have sent both of them sprawled to the ground, and left Brinkha to fight alone. The beasts still used their lack of coordination against them, and took two swipes at Norton that sent him scrambling away.

The quadruped reminded Reid of a bear. It was powerful and dangerous - and the trio weren't exactly warriors. They'd demonstrated courage in the face of danger, but the mason, attendant, and chef were still just noncombatants doing their best under Reid's lacking tutelage. Brinkha - as had become the norm - was the one to put a decisive blow into the beast. She piled on damage while the other two kept it distracted. Gerald tanked what he could with his shield, and Norton landed opportune counterstrikes against paw and claw.

Reid had tried to progress them through ever-tougher opponents, and forced them to fight as a team instead of just fighting alone. Their coordination wasn't great - but at least they were hitting the beasts more than they bumped into each other. Solo fighting was easy, because you only needed to worry about yourself. Reid knew that quite well. He also knew that the trio would likely be in a large force, if they ever fought again. They had the weapons and armor he'd crafted. That left coordination - any level of coordination - as the difference between victory and death.

He honestly didn't know what would happen to the trio, but understood they were destined to be backliners - or they would choose that role in time. Gerald's purification magic would be a boon to ensure food wasn't poisoned and random sources of water didn't contain some sort of new awakened super virus. Norton would be a perfect addition to a forward camp, making sure people stayed healthy over extended periods of energy expenditure. Brinkha's spatial magic couldn't store a large amount yet, but it was useful in many ways, and could be an even greater benefit if she continued to improve.

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The beast roared as Norton connected with a slice through shoulder muscle, and its arm fell limp. Gerald pressed forward with his shield and forced the beast to focus on him with its other. It rolled back onto mostly-useless back legs, and Brinkha stabbed through the back of its neck as Norton stabbed into its heart. The beast fell sideways and bled into the dirt.

Reid checked their weapons and armor, and congratulated them on a job well done. He awkwardly stumbled through a 'you've finished your training with me' speech, which was followed quickly by surprises.

Brinkha's hands emitted a glow of energy, and a series of still-steaming meals popped into existence before him, contained in a clear storage cube. Reid blinked.

"We figured you would go your own way once Hugo and Vidita were here with us, so we made a few treats for you." Norton offered. "The cube came from Hugo, the meals are from me, and Brinkha kept them warm."

Reid smiled deep as wonderful odors filled his nose. He briefly contemplated taking the chef with him. He could probably manage keeping Norton safe... but that wasn't the plan. He didn't want to put anyone else near the final Beast Lord, especially after seeing how dangerous the Duke was. He graciously accepted the gift from his demigod of deliciousness as it disappeared into his storage ring. Then he gave the cook a hug.

Gerald rubbed at his head with one hand while holding a stone bowl out in the other. Reid took it, and realized there were a series of ornate carvings that rimmed the inside lip, a vivid display that reminded him of vines and insects.

"I - um, made you this. The stone is just good stone, and I prettied it up a bit. I pushed a bunch of purification in it too - not sure if that's useful, and it'll probably fade, but yeah. Hope you find a use for it."

Reid's smile shifted. Maybe he would find ways to combine his magic and his passion. He extended a hand, and the mason shook it. "Thanks, Gerald."

Brinkha cleared her throat. "That leaves me." She stepped forward, and motioned for Reid to hold out his hand, then dropped an oversized opalescent coin into his palm. It had a hole and string near the outer lip. "I preserved some of the insect queen, and used it to try out some different things. Figured if you could craft, I might be able to, too. It's not great, and the storage space is about the size of your head, but it's a storage item. One of my first successes. I left a dessert for you in there. Norton helped with that part."

Reid turned the item in his hand, and watched the sun shift over the reflective surface before he put it on like a necklace. Brinkha hugged him and stepped back, then placed a hand on Gerald's shoulder. Gerald put his on her back.

"Thank you. all of you. I'm going to appreciate each of these gifts. Stick with these two, and you'll find your way to safety. I'm sure I'll see you again." He nodded to them, then turned around and welcomed the hug Vidita had waiting for him.

"Good luck with your beast fight, Serroc. And thanks again for helping Hugo with his magic. And don't forget you have friends, if you need help." She let go, then took a few steps towards the trio. "Hugo, I'm going to stay here, you two take a walk." She gave them both a warm smile.

Reid surveyed his trio one more time. They were caked in dirt, their own sweat, and the creature's blood. Gerald's arms still shook from the strain of blocking repeated blows. Norton was holding his wrist, strained from his unique style of combat. Brinkha leaned against Gerald, still exhausted from her rapid movement to seize opportunity in the fight. They weren't bleeding. They were victorious. Capable of holding their own.

#

Reid walked silently next to the Prince - or king - of Vuxarina, feet scraping over dirt and rocks and softly falling on grass, moss, and weeds. The tutorial around them was alive with the calls of animal and beast alike.

They stopped in silent agreement when they stumbled onto a brook too small to wet their ankles. It bubbled and tumbled over the terrain.

"I wish you luck in your fight, Serroc - and I thank you for your trust." He offered Reid a hand. It was facing sideways instead of up and down, but Reid took it and shook it anyway.

"Same, Hugo. Good luck."

"I would also like to bid farewell to Nyx. Thank you, Elder Nyx, for your guidance, and your warnings." The king bowed. "I shall keep both close to heart.

"Hugo - little prince. You've made strong progress here, and that bodes well for your future. Know that you've just begun to touch on the true capabilities of soulsmithing. In time, you will be able to even more deftly touch, modify, and manipulate. Through history, Soulsmiths have achieved great - and terrible - feats. Some were able to boost their allies on a massive scale through the use of that magic. Others learned to use the power to commune with life of all forms, beyond language. Look it up, and you'll find instances of soulsmiths making souls visible to those who lacked soulsight, or reserving the souls of loved ones. But there are also stories of Soulsmiths that learned to make others subservient through manipulation, and started wars with armies of puppets. Horror planets where every person's soul was warped and linked together in a personal experiment gone too far. Instances where someone's very agency was removed and perverted. Some soulsmiths have a story on each side - great and terrible. Grow your power, and always remain aware of how easily you could slip the wrong way."

Hugo swallowed hard. Reid kept parroting Nyx's words.

"Now, warning aside - I think you have promise, and the right integrity to become great. Your power is currently limited by your grade. Ensure you are balanced, take your time, and practice like you're going to get quizzed. When you eventually move from F to E grade, the fine control you're working on now will become even more important, and will prevent you from accidentally snuffing out souls while trying to work with them. Use the notes I had Reid jot down for you when you feel like you've mastered a lesson. There are enough in there to keep you busy for a while."

Vuxarina's King stood and extended his arms like a hug, then curled them around the air. Reid didn't understand the motion until he felt an ice-like fear emanate from Nyx.

Hugo was hugging her - hugging her soul. Reid was already partway towards shoving the man away when another sensation stopped him. Warmth and comfort, like hot soup after a cold rain. It was small, and still surrounded by ice, but it was there. The fear melted around it - not completely, but enough. He felt Nyx flutter slightly as she calmed.

She took a few long breaths when Hugo disengaged, and the man worried his hands as he stared.

"Thank you, Hugo."

#

#

Reid wiped away a bit of rogue moisture from his eye. The time he'd spent recovering, the pain and the boredom, was all mixed in alongside his pride in seeing the trio grow, and the falling wall and warmth of calling Hugo a real friend.

"Nyx, we'll see them when the tutorial ends, right? We'll all come out in the same spot?"

"Maybe - it depends on how badly I broke the beacon's logic when I first got you in. But don't worry. Hugo still has growing to do, and he's already strong enough to win fights against Belar. One day... well, ignore that. He has a long way to go, and so do I."

Reid pushed aside his desire to puzzle at her unfinished thought, and focused on his destination. The tenth stage. He had a named beast - a king - waiting for him.

His excitement grew as he started the long trek towards the final fight.

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