Seras kept to herself the first day she was back with the caravan. The shame was too great. She had said she was going to strike out on her own, and here she was not even two days alone and she had gotten into a life-or-death brawl with a drunken bastard and taken in by the guards.
On the morning of the next day they loaded up their cargo and left the city. A new, strong backed Heidel had been bought for Seras, as well as new clothes, camping gear, and one of the broad rimmed woolen hats the people of this region favored. The long cotton pants, button up shirt, and embroidered vest that were also common weren’t really her style.
Seras preferred tight tops that exposed the perfect lines on her stomach with a matching leather jacket and skintight pants. But in this world that style would be scandalous and just begging for more assholes like Dale to harass her. Until she had the power to defend herself, she needed to try and fit in while flying under the radar.
They left in the early morning from the south gate of Karstess, and spent the whole day moving further and further from the city.
This close to the city the fertile magic that infused the water from Karstess was strong enough for farmers to grow crops even under the harsh desert sun. Seras wasn’t very familiar with crops, most of Ruin’s food was grown in massive vats and were heavily modified, but none of them looked like the pictures of old crops she had seen in old movies.
There was a lavender colored grain crop that grew as high as her waist and was supposedly used to make flour. Then there were orchards of plump red fruits called apples, which were supposedly sweet and crunchy. The fruit made Karstess famous for its ciders.
Seras got all this info not from the other caravanners, but from the farmer''s almanac she could peruse with her net access ability. It also provided a great deal of information on the weather and kinds of disasters in this region. Monsoons from the eastern and western oceans flanking this continent would sporadically hit the desert like a wall of water and wind, and then just as abruptly leave.
Monolithic dust storms were also common, often hiding hordes of monsters within to prey upon travelers. Then there were tornadoes, deadly dust devils, and dry lightning storms that would set the dry brush ablaze.
According to the almanac there was also just as much danger from below as above. The random twisting of the labyrinth could create sink holes and landslides with its movements. And sometimes a tunnel could open up just to discourage swarms of monsters that had manifested within. And supposedly entire hills could just rise up out of nowhere and sink just as fast.
The only reason anyone bothered with a place like this was because of the abundance of astral spaces that made life possible and the rich bounties of the earth below. No other region on this world was as minerally rich as the five deserts.
They reached the edge of the green zone just before sundown, and they stayed in another small town before they braved the long stretch of desert. According to Dustin they would be away from any signs of civilization for two to three weeks!
That night Seras tried the local cuisine, which was delightfully spicey.
One benefit she had gained from her fight with Dale was that she learned that she could use low grade stamina potions to help her recover battery charge. She was now sitting at 32%, which was the highest her reserves had been since she left the labyrinth.
Unfortunately, the town they were in didn’t sell any, as they were typically an expense only adventurers could afford.
The next day they set out at dawn and began their long, long trek south to a small port city in the small western gulf. This time they were loaded up with magical weapons and armor that would be shipped overseas from the port.
Seras rode next to Dustin, who was teaching her how to properly ride Heidel.
“You need to name him” He said casually, “it helps with the bond”
“I know, I just can’t think of any names. how did you think of jesses’ name?”
He smiled “It was the name of the first girl I was sweet on. We were friends since childhood, but she always had dreams of higher education and joined the magic society as a researcher. I was still heart broken when I got my first Heidel and I named her after the girl.”
Seras did the math “Do Heidels really live that long?”
“Yes, but they wear out after a couple decades. Jesse here is special since she’s a bonded familiar.”
“How does that work?”
“It comes from one of my essence powers. A bonded familiar is a critter with at least a little magic that you can form a lifelong bond with, Jesse here happened to be one in thousand when it comes to Heidel’s and had a little magic of her own.”
“You put emphasis on the bonded part of the word, are there other types of familiars on this world?”
Dustin nodded “Yes, there’s bonded ones like Jesse here. That one requires an essence power to bond certain types of beasts. Dragons and Phoenixes are popular amongst the nobility, but there are plenty of others out there. Then there’s the summoned familiar. Those are either one time summons, or permanent summons. With the latter requiring a fortunes worth of magical resources but can be subsumed within the body for a nifty boost. While the one-time kind just need a circle and disappear after a while. Flint’s got an earth Golem power.”
Seras filed that information away for later “We got off track. Names”
“Right. Do you know any famous Heidels from your world that might sound good?”
“We don’t have Heidels. And I’m not sure I want to pick a name from my world, that’s still a raw wound.”
He nodded “Alright, then one from this world. Spirit is usually popular among girls.”
“I’m not a girl. I’m a grown ass woman” Seras pointed out.
“Just a suggestion.”
Later that day Seras got bucked off her Heidel, it sent nearly fifteen meters away into the dirt. Which was how Buck, got his name.
~~~*~~~
The caravan crew were no longer on tightly controlled rations, and Seras filled her belly with the sweet beans and sausage. While the group told stories around the campfire. Seras sat off to the side and just listened. Petra had tried to get her to tell the story of how she beat a bronze rank adventurer, but Seras waved her off. She really hadn’t made a good showing of herself in that fight, the gap between bronze and her was simply too hard to broach.
Flint continued to send the occasional scowl her way, and one of the caravan members named Haris joined him in showing his distaste for her.
Night fell and Seras was resting against a rock when Dustin and Flint approached her. She sat up. “What’s up boss?” Seras asked as they approached.
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“Just needed to have a talk about your future.” Dustin said.
“My future huh. Is this about the magic thing again?”
“It is, you need to face the reality that you’re in a world of magic.” Dustin began.
“I can’t agree more.” Seras interrupted.
“Half measures and… what?”
“I said I agree with you. I was considered one of the most dangerous and capable people in my world, but I barely survived one drunken asshole.” Seras explained.
“A bronze rank asshole” Flint interjected. “The fact that your alive at all is a miracle.”
Seras nodded “I got lucky. I stabbed him in the neck and set him on fire, and it wasn’t enough. If he had stabbed anywhere else I’d be dead right now. If the people back home heard that Seras Cross was killed by some drunk rapist, then my reputation would be ruined.”
Flint scowled “You would be dead, what use is reputation then?”
Seras met his scowl “It’s everything. It''s how a legend lives on even after death.”
“She has a point” Dustin said. Flint frowned, but kept his thoughts to himself. Dustin turned back to Seras. “So, you’ve decided to embrace magic?”
“Yes, if I want to reclaim just a little of what I was then I’ll need the power to do so. And that means essences.”
Dustin smirked. “Glad you think so.” Sparks appeared in his hand, when they faded a metal cube sat in his palm.
Seras frowned; it was a little hard to see in the dark but “Is that the essence Dale had on him?”
“Yup. Azoss gave me Dale’s purse before I left. I think you should have the essence.”
“Isn’t that, like evidence, they didn’t want to hold onto it?”
They frowned “Its only right that criminal pays back his victims, even in death.” Flint said icily.
“Really? I guess that makes sense, in an eye for and eye sort of way.”
Dustin held his hand out. “This belongs to you, it’s the only thing of value Dale had on him.”
Seras took it.
Metal Essence. 3 star rarity. A manifestation that grants the wielder power over metal
Would you like to convert to an appropriate form Y/N
She stared at, then gave the mental command at it transformed into a metallic shard that she immediately slotted into her neck.
Once again Seras felt incredible pain. But where the last felt like a million volts of electricity being delivered to her every never this was like molten metal was being poured into her bones. It spread until it filled every part of her body, and then went deeper. Once again Seras felt the alien yet familiar existence of her own soul for a brief moment, only long enough to feel it being changed. No, not changed, more like aspects of it were instead being drawn to the surface. Then it was gone.
She let out a ragged breath. This time Seras had remained upright, but only just.
Metal essence has bonded with the power attribute.
Your magic matrix has better integrated into your body. Your attunement with your body had increased. Soul/body Attunement at 5%. Increase the Power attribute to further improve attunement.
Metal essence ability Structural reinforcement Iron 1: 0%
Uses mana to reinforce any metallic objects and constructs from physical blows. Can enhance non-metal magical constructs for a higher mana cost.
Cost: Low
Cooldown: None
Dustin and Flint were both staring at her in shock and silent horror.
“What?” Seras asked, trying to put a bit of strength in her voice to hide the exhaustion she felt.
Flint put his head into one hand while Dustin sighed.
“Seras, we weren’t intending you to absorb it. We were going to help you auction it at Florin.”
Seras frowned, now worried she had made a big mistake. “Was there something wrong with the Metal essence? I wouldn’t think it would be on the restricted list.”
Flint’s head jerked up “It was a metal essence? Metal, not iron, or copper?”
“It said metal.” Seras said.
They exchanged glances with each other. “Well, that might not be entirely a bad thing then.” Dustin said slowly.
“Seriously, what was wrong with the essence you gave me?” she was now close to panicking.
“Nothing.” Dustin said quickly. “We thought it was one of the more common ones, like iron or copper. We were going to suggest selling it to buy a different essence.”
Seras calmed down, “What’s wrong with copper or iron?”
“Nothing” Flint said, now removing his head from his hand. “In fact both are excellent essences for magical craftsman. Smiths and artificers. With maybe a few combat abilities. We assumed that it wasn’t ideal for you personally. Especially since we’re not sure what confluence essence you might get with that strange technology essence.” He explained.
“The metal essence is a lot like the Iron and copper essences, but with a wider and more varied assortment of known abilities. You could get abilities from the iron or copper essences, or ones unique to the metal essence. Especially if you use less common awakening stones. What power did you get?”
“Structural reinforcement. It lets me boost the integrity of metal constructs.” Seras explained.
Dustin rubbed his chin, “not a bad one. Could be good for a front-line defender. Might let you reinforce a shield or armor to take bigger hits.”
“Or temporarily boost the power of a magic sword, a good support power.” Flint added.
Seras quirked an eyebrow at them. “I think I can do a little better than that.” she said confidently.
“How so?” Dustin asked.
She smirked “Because my whole body is metal.”
Just like her last essence the Metal essence gave her an innate sense for how to use it. she could feel the power coursing through her wiring, her metal bones, and tingling across her smart skin. She held up an arm and activated her new power. Electric blue lines like that of a circuit board crawled up her arm, reinforcing it to take heavy blows.
“A personal defense power. Not bad.” Dustin said with a nod of his head. “I know from Petra that those can be very useful. Flint here has to spend a small fortune on cloth armors, so it’ll definitely save you on costs. And since its your own body it might allow you more freedom of movement.”
“Yeah, and I feel like I might be able to temporarily boost other things too, like I can touch it to make it stronger for a time.”
Dustin nodded “Sounds about right, a power like that usually finds itself linked to the user''s aura, which is still dormant in you.”
Flint had pulled out a white stone tablet and was frowning. “That seems to be the case. At iron she can touch objects, including magical constructs, and give them an added resilience. It''s just the physical right now, but at higher ranks she gains more resistances. Heat, cold and acid at bronze. Then necrotic, poison, holy and unholy at silver.”
“I’m supposed to be immune to those last ones though, is my silver rank power set useless?” Seras asked. Guessing that Flint was just looking at the essence ability list she pulled it up and searched her new ability. It was listed as rare for iron, copper and forge essences to unlock, but only uncommon for her own Metal essence.
“No.” Flint said distractedly. “You might be immune to them now, but by silver anyone with those kinds of abilities will be able to overcome those immunities. Abilities grow to cover the gaps in our powersets, covering up previous weaknesses. My own earth powers are only available in places with earth to work with, but by silver I can conjure land from anywhere, even in water or the air.”
“Nova” Seras said.
“What are its known confluences?” Dustin asked.
“Hard to say since she has an essence no one''s ever heard of. But confluences range from anything from crafting, defense specialist, front line specialist, as well as support roles.”
“Hold on” Seras said holding up her hands “What’s this about defense, frontline, or support roles?”
Flint looked annoyed that she didn’t know something he considered obvious. But Dustin stepped up to explain, “Power sets tend to skew certain ways. My skills fall in the range of a combat skirmisher. Getting into combat, landing hits, then fading away. In large group settings people like me can be crucial for landing debilitating blows and chasing down fleeing enemies. Whereas Flint is a midrange spell caster, his attack abilities are potent, but he’s lacking in self defense or speed. Petra can control a combat zone and tank hits from a foe while dealing back moderate, but unceasing violence.”
“So what’s the best specialty?” Seras asked.
“Depends on who you ask. Some would say front line fighters, or powerful spell casters since they can deal huge amounts of damage. Healers and front-line defenders are also in high demand. The reality is that there are a million possible combat situations you can face, and there’s always going to be someone out there who is best equipped for one while outclassed in another.” Dustin explained. “I once heard it said that there are no bad powers or power sets, only bad adventurers.”
Seras frowned “I’m hearing lot of things that implies teams are pretty common.”
“Very. A good adventurer can do some solo work where their skills are best suited, but to really face the tougher opponents you need a team that compliments your abilities while covering up your weaknesses. One person can’t face all the world has to offer alone.”
That made sense to Seras. In her old world she often did the biggest jobs with a team of other elite Mercs. They had to split the payment a few ways, but the jobs were always high paying. That said Seras did a vast majority of her work alone, relying heavily on a wide array of gadgets, weaponry, and of course her Cyberware. But now she wouldn’t have access to that sort of equipment anymore, it was only logical that she might need to adopt a new way of fighting.
“Okay, I see a lot of entries for an ‘Avatar’ confluence in the essence list. What kind of role does that fill?” Seras asked.
Flint shrugged “It depends on what specific combination you use. Avatar is a common confluence, but one Avatar user will always differ significantly from another. Blood, bone and flesh creates an avatar confluence with abilities surrounding the body. While Vast, Potent, and water create an Avatar essence with oceanic abilities.”
“Why?”
“Theories vary. But the consensus is that Avatar users become the embodiment of greater transcendent powers or ancient heroes.”
“Huh, well what’s next?” Seras asked.
Dustin looked thoughtful “Hard to say. We were planning to have you sell that essence and hopefully choose a set of essences you liked the look of. But that’s sort of out the window at this point.”
Seras frowned “I’ve got two awakening stones, should I use them now or wait?”
“That depends. Some power sets work best when you obtain all your essences. Having all of them helps them synergize with each other better.” Flint said.
“Then again, those two stones could grant her some combat abilities that she is in desperate need of.” Dustin pointed out.
“There''s no guarantee of that. she isn’t human anymore, so she won''t have their affinity for special attacks. She could just as easily get a utility power, a crafting ability, or maybe a spell. I say it’s better to wait.” Flint countered.
Seras pondered her options. She could see the sense in both. But they had no idea what third essence she could get her hands on or what confluence it would result in. According to Dustin her Celestial book awakening stone would sell for a lot, which means that she might have her pick of essences. But something told her that was a bad idea.
That awakening stone had been placed directly into her pocket space during her soul migration. During her unconscious trip through the astral she had only had the Technology on her, so she had to assume that it was meant to awaken a tech essence ability. Seras had trepidations about great eldritch horrors from beyond reality, according to Dustin very little was known about them. That said there was one thing they knew for certain; they were powerful. And that was exactly what Seras needed right now.
She summoned the awakening stone.
“Are you sure about that one?” Dustin said cautiously.
“As sure as I can be about anything right now.” Seras said with a grim finality before she slotted it in.