The ridiculous family night continued, and despite her discomfort, Sofia couldn't stop listening to Zezog's stories. He spoke of Althowin when she was starting out and his own time in the dungeons when he was still figuring out his own style.

It made the legendary hero seem so human.

That was all interrupted when Althowin stepped inside with a huge box in her arms. She set it down, looked silently about the room, then pointed at Sofia.

"Come with me."

Sofia pointed at herself.

"Yes. Hurry it up." Althowin gestured to the box. "For Owin. Nobody else touch." She stepped out the door, then leaned back and jabbed a finger toward Shade. "That means you, skeleton!"

"Am I offended?" Shade asked.

"No," Owin said.

The little goblin had been in his own conversation with one of the alchemists and the weird berserker, and now their attention was all focused on the mystery box.

Sofia hurried to the door, expecting Althowin to ask for someone else. She stepped into the hall where the 7 Shard Hero leaned against the wall.

"Am I getting kicked out?" Sofia asked.

"What?" Althowin grabbed her arm and started pulling her toward the lobby. "Indulf got back. You're going to listen to the story and be my right hand at the moment."

"Me? Not the other alchemists?"

Althowin let go and quickly patted Sofia's shoulder. "They don't have the life experience you do."

Sofia didn't know how important life experience was when someone had Althowin Alegarra as their teacher.

Indulf was calmly sitting back at his desk when they entered the lobby. He had a wrapped package lying on his desk beside a stack of papers that looked like handwritten notes.

"Welcome back," Althowin said.

Indulf nodded.

Althowin sat on the edge of the desk and gestured to the papers.

Indulf picked up the stack, leaned back a little, and started reading. "Atrevaar's destruction was extensive, but not permanent. With the vast wealth of the Void Nexus Hero Company, efforts have already begun to repair the damage, including both commercial and residential areas. While Sofia Halaby's role in this destruction is clear, Vephthru Veriss had undoubtedly been the aggressor." He paused, looked at both of them, then flipped his page.

"Vephthru Veriss denied any aggression, saying she was simply observing and protecting Atrevaar, as the Security Regime would expect of her. It was unclear if she truly believed she could lie to me or not. I did not press the issue." He paused again, looking between them.

"Just keep reading," Althowin said.

Indulf adjusted the stack, cleared his throat, and continued. "Death toll is still being calculated, somewhere in the multiple hundreds." His eyes flicked up to Sofia for just a second.

She felt her heart sink.

"With recent events, Vephthru Veriss has started to restructure the Void Nexus Hero Company. Her old right hand, Sylmare Virtress, has been demoted in favor of Nikoletta Olah who has fused with a cathkabel. This is information she is not aware that I have acquired."

"That's how she survived," Althowin said. "We're going to investigate that more before letting Owin know. Got it?"

Sofia nodded slowly, then folded her arms across her chest. "Should we lie to the kid?"

"Not a kid. Technically older than any of us. But what are your reservations?" Althowin asked.

"You sent him off to die before." Sofia took off her hat and ran a hand through greasy hair. "I just think lying ain't going to help him."

"It's not lying. It's keeping information away so we can figure out the full picture." Althowin scowled. "You're right, though. If you weren't there, he'd be dead and it would be entirely my fault. Indulf will get your bounty cleared once we figure out how."

"Yes, ma'am," Indulf said, apparently hearing that for the first time.

"What else can you tell us?" Veph asked.

Indulf undid the knot holding the wrapping together and unveiled a floppy sword made of bone. "I recovered Isotelus from the Security Regime. Owin's other weapons have been confiscated by the military or Void Nexus, and I was unable to retrieve more during my time in Atrevaar."

"I'll get them back. Get me a list." Althowin picked up Isotelus and flopped it around. "This is the stupidest weapon."

"What do you want me to do?" Sofia asked.

"You're going to be here with Zezog acting as protection for anyone in this compound. But really, I need you doing two things. Assist my assistants in creating tools with your claverstan knowledge and figure out a solution for our little alliance problem." Althowin passed Isotelus to Sofia.

"What alliance?" she asked, taking the bone sword.

"Magna Regum. The Three Heads. Probably Void Nexus. Golden Bulls. Before long, they'll find a way to snare some of the smaller companies and maybe even some militaries into this whole debacle. They've been quiet lately, but I suspect that won't last. Am I right?"

Sofia nodded slowly.

"I believe you once said Kikuno Itou was part of this alliance," Indulf said.

Sofia clutched her hat to her chest and let her other arm and the sword hang.

"As of right now, Kikuno Itou is running the investigation into Vephthru Veriss and the entire battle within Atrevaar. While I would be hesitant to refer to Kikuno Itou as an ally in this debacle, as it was put, I can confidently say she is not against us. Kikuno Itou is a neutral party for now. If you believe you can influence her, do inform me." Indulf picked up a pen and wrote something at the bottom of his notes.

"Can you do these things or are we asking too much?" Althowin walked right up to her.

Sofia leaned back and fought every urge to fully take a step away. "I can do that."

Basolia appeared as a long shadow and stretched toward her. "I will take that."

"What?"

"The sword," Indulf said.

Sofia dropped Isotelus into the specter and pulled her hand away. Basolia moved around the spine weapon and vanished.

"I never thought you'd care much about me," Sofia said.

Althowin opened the front door. "I like interesting people. Come with me. We're going to go talk to the public."

"I'm wanted."

"Not in Vraxridge." Althowin grabbed her hand and dragged her out into the street.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

***

Owin slowly approached the box. Basolia floated above it and moved the top with a shadowy tendril.

"This collection of apprentice to god level potions was created with the intention of raising your attributes to a minimum of seven hundred." The specter tilted the box enough for Owin to see the rainbow assortment of potions inside.

"Why seven hundred?"

"With your highest attribute, strength, at seven hundred, Althowin Alegarra believed it would be best to let you grow other attributes and become accustomed to the changes before raising them higher."

"And she wants to make sure I'm not going to murder anyone."

Basolia didn't answer.

"This is an unbelievable fortune," Ernie said, approaching behind Owin.

"I asked her for this, but why did she actually do it? It still feels like she's scared of me."

Ernie grabbed Owin's shoulder and squeezed. "She's not scared of you. She's constantly worried about other people." He subtly gestured back.

Owin looked over his shoulder. Everyone had acknowledged Basolia before returning to conversations. Everyone but Katalin who stared.

"She has a lot in common with Althowin," Ernie said. "People want to make sure you're safe too, Owin. It doesn't matter who or what you are. They care about you."

Owin carefully pulled a buff from the box. "You made me my first big batch."

"I care about you too." Ernie pulled one of the potions from the box and swirled it around. "These are better than anything I could make. I'll get there eventually." He popped the cork and passed the open potion to Owin. "Better drink up. It's going to take you a while."

Ernie was right. It took Owin over an hour to get through the whole box. Just drinking the buffs could have been fast enough, but he also recorked and carefully replaced each of the bottles. He hadn't followed any particular order by rarity, color, or buff type. None of it really mattered in the end.

There had been no buffs for strength and only three for constitution, which he thought was weird at first. Upon taking them out of the box, he realized the constitution buffs were all god level, which he hadn't seen before.

God Constitution Buff

+100 Constitution

Duration: ????

According to Ernie, both divine and god level buffs lasted for a full twenty four hours for most people. For Owin, god level was the only rarity that boosted a full 100 to the attribute, making it the most useful in his current situation. Why drink two master level buffs when he could drink one god level?

"Only Althowin could have made all this in a day. It would take me a week to make a god buff, and there are so many mistakes I might make that would turn it divine or lower." Ernie shook his head. "She's insane."

Hero

Owin

Deficient Wizard

Level: 1

Strength: 700

Constitution: 730

Dexterity: 720

Intelligence: 767

Wisdom: 699

Charisma: 690

"How do you feel?" Ernie asked.

"The exact same." Owin shrugged. It always took some actual moving and fighting to really notice a difference.

"As long as you don't accidentally jump through a wall or something."

Owin was more cautious walking back to the table with that in mind. He didn't think it was likely, but it was something he would probably have done in the past.

Shade, while still listening to Zezog, ripped his skull off and passed it across the table until it sat right in front of Owin. "Wow. Don't you look big and strong."

"I think I look the exact same, Shade."

"Which is big and strong."

The skeleton's body continued nodding along to Zezog's story, swaying back and forth while otherwise leaned forward and fully enthralled.

"You can't hear with just your body." Ernie grabbed the skull and moved it about. "You have no ears."

"Maybe I can hear through my bones? Vibrations and the sort. Who can say?" Shade squinted his eye sockets. "Who can say?"

"I assume you can, you moron," Katalin said as she grabbed Shade's skull and yanked it into her lap. "I could just go dunk you in the toilet like this."

"You won't see me complaining."

Katalin dropped the skull onto the table. "Ew."

"Deception!"

Owin grabbed Shade's head and shoved it back onto the skeleton's body.

The evening continued peacefully as even Althowin and Indulf joined in. Everyone switched spots throughout, diving into different conversations and taking turns playing games with Chorsay. Owin didn't understand the card game at all, but quickly picked it up and beat Shade, who refused to speak for a surprisingly long time.

When the evening wound down and people went off to their rooms, Owin expected Miya to be the only one left. She apologized and said she wanted to be by herself, needing to rest after the last few days.

That soon left just Owin, Shade, and Zezog.

The old elf grinned.

Owin didn't think he had seen Zezog make such a face before. He was usually so stoic.

"You're going to murder us, aren't you?" Shade asked.

"Not intentionally." Zezog stood from the table and made a gesture with his hand.

Basolia appeared nearby. "You need something, Master?"

"Master?"

Zezog waved away the title. "Can you make the training arena soundproof?"

"It is structurally reinforced. Part of that will deaden sound. Vibrations passing through the rest of the compound, and into the greater Vraxridge, are out of my control."

"If we don't use shards?" Zezog asked.

"Vibrations will be minimal."

Zezog stretched. "Can you bring my new sword to the arena? And any weapons Owin and Shade can use?"

"Yes." Basolia melted into the ground and vanished.

"Right now? I thought you would sleep." Owin hopped off the bench. "Are you sure?"

"Elves don't sleep the same as humans." Zezog put his arm over Shade's shoulders. "You need to adjust to your new attributes and I need practice with my new weapon."

"Okay." Owin gestured toward the hall.

Zezog pulled Shade along even as the skeleton protested and tried to slip free.

Owin was hit with a sudden sense of longing while walking toward the arena. The weapons he had grown so accustomed to were gone. The hammer and lich bone had been with him since the Great Forest, and the others had been from the Ocean. And now, nothing but an empty black bag.

He still wasn't sure about the bag either. It just felt like leather and looked like a shadow. It had nothing like Basolia's awareness or intelligence. It didn't speak, move, or do anything but be a bag. Accusing Althowin of making a mistake was probably a death sentence, so he figured at the very least, he now had a bigger, stronger bag that wasn't likely to fall to shreds in the midst of a battle.

Basolia waited for them in the middle of the arena. As soon as they entered, shadows sealed the door and stayed over, reinforcing the structure.

"Zezog." Basolia presented the odd sword, shoving it handle first out of a shadow.

Zezog grabbed the textured grip and pulled. At first, it looked like a lump of black metal. Just a small rectangle. Owin immediately knew that couldn't be everything. It was far too small of a weapon for the Barbarian.

Zezog shook the weapon, revealing additional sections from the sides. They swung around like they were on hinges, and snapping and fusing together until the single biggest blade Owin had ever seen formed. Zezog held it like it weighed nothing. His index opened and he smiled.

"The Barbarian's Blade? Okay." He relaxed his arm and let the sword fall. When the edge of the blade touched the concrete, it sliced right through and caused the entire compound to quake.

"I cannot dampen that," Basolia said.

"Understood." Zezog left the sword on the ground for the moment. "What do you have for Owin?"

Basolia's shadows split into three sections. "Pick one."

"For a specter without a personality, you sure like to play stupid games," Shade said.

Basolia launched a flanged mace out of a shadow, hitting Shade directly in the face. The skeleton poofed into dust.

Summon the Withered Shade

"Fine!" Shade stuck his hands up. "I guess I get a mace."

"What class are you?" Owin asked.

Shade opened his index and lifted the mace. "Uh oh. Berserker."

"Good," Zezog said.

Shade took a step away.

Owin stood in front of the left-most shadow. "This one."

Basolia passed Isotelus to Owin. Out of the middle shadow, the specter set down a spear, which looked too tall for Owin to use well.

"Is this—"

"Yes," Basolia said. "Indulf retrieved it from Atrevaar. Althowin will attempt to retrieve the rest of your weapons."

"Thank you," Owin said, smiling.

"I do not require thanks."

"Thank her for me."

Basolia melted away without another word.

"Owin," Zezog said. He lifted the massive sword. "Try to hit me."

Owin used Ice Blade, freezing Isotelus into a solid sword. "I won't hurt you?"

"We can worry about that if you land a hit."

Shade backed away another few steps. "Basolia, do you have health potions available?"

The specter reappeared as it deposited a metal chest filled with bright red potions.

"Oh." Shade picked one up. "Go at it, I guess." He took the cork off and tried to sniff it. "Is this cherry?"

Owin dashed and . . . ran directly into Zezog. Having his dexterity immediately raised by three hundred had given him a massive speed boost. Even Zezog seemed surprised as Owin crashed and crumpled against his metal leg.

Owin blinked a few times while lying on his back. "Does that count as hitting you?"

"Do you want it to?"

"Probably not."

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