Chapter 416 - Happenings in the East

Three Months Later

Austin

West of the Mountains

His eyes cracked open just as the sun was beginning to crest the horizon. Waking at sunrise was becoming a more and more common occurrence. It was like his natural rhythm was stirred when dawn broke, and he awoke with the sun.

It didn’t happen every day, as there were times such a rousing wasn’t enough, like after tough fights or long nights in the tavern, but today wasn’t one of those times. Sure, he’d been in the tavern until the wee hours of the night, but Endurance and Vitality were a fabulous thing.

That much alcohol on so little sleep Before would have left him comatose. Now, he was right as rain at dawn.

Being the courteous gentleman that he was, he slipped out of the sheets slowly and dressed as quietly as possible. Austin wasn’t one for sappy goodbyes, a note left in his place was a much better extraction from the situation.

Writing said note only took a few seconds longer as it wasn’t his first, and neither would it be his last. Slipping out of the door was even easier, and he was free to straighten up without worry of making too much noise.

Austin took in the cool Spring air with a smile. The warmth of the sun’s first rays settled on his face comfortably as he made his way through the city. Tahoe wasn’t as large as a few other cities Austin had been to, but it wasn’t the smallest.

Mountainside definitely took the crown for largest in population, but Seattle wasn’t far off. Vancouver and Portland also outdid Tahoe in size. It was a shame they didn’t come up with better names. Reusing the old world’s names was dull, in Austin’s opinion, but it was better than adding New in front of it, as so many others did.

That said, Tahoe was definitely the most beautiful.

Mountainside had its charm from being carved from a mountain, Vancouver and Seattle had their bays, and Portland had its own claim to fame, but it was nothing compared to Tahoe.

The Rockies weren’t the only mountain range to be altered. The Sierras saw an improvement as well. They still weren’t as tall as the massive wall that the Rockies had turned into, but they were certainly a pain to climb. It was easier to fly at most points than try on foot, even though his flying was still limited.

Instead of building a city and then digging a moat around it, like one would naturally assume, the founding Lord had built an island in the middle of the lake instead. Creating one of the largest moats Austin had ever seen.

Usually, this would be impossible because of all of the large and powerful sea creatures that would take umbrage with the fact that you were trying to build an island in the middle of their home, but that wasn’t the case for Tahoe.

The lake hadn’t been that large to begin with, and there hadn’t been anything that powerful inhabiting it. Even mutated as the aquatic life was upon humanity's return, the local population was more than enough to handle it.

It helped that the founding Lord was a powerful Warrior with a strong water affinity. He could fight above and below water with the strength required to keep the lake in check. Not many could claim the same. Austin doubted even Marcus could. He didn’t have the right skill set for underwater combat, and his long glaive wouldn’t help matters.

Taking the ferry every time he wanted to enter or leave was a massive hassle, but it was almost worth it just for the views alone.

It was an hour before Austin stepped off the small boat and into the small shoreside village, and people were in the process of starting their day. Hammers began to ring as Smiths began their work, and carts rattled down cobblestone roads transporting materials to where they needed to be.

Small groups armed and armored made their way out of inns and headed west to the nearby dungeon. The waitlist to delve into it was long, but Austin had found a way around it.

People were more than happy to sell their slot when you threw money at them, and Austin had more than enough money to do so. Wandering had its perks, and coming across powerful beasts was one of them. Not only was the essence worth it, but selling the parts was quite profitable. So was the random plant or herb he found along the way. Wood, too, from the rare tree.

His Profession gave him the skills necessary to make the most of his finds, which really brought the coin rolling in.

Pulling up his [Explorer’s Map], he was just about to set his course when something caught his attention, causing him to stop. A man with his head down, staring at a compass, stood in the middle of the road. It wasn’t the odd behavior or the fact that he hadn’t looked up as he effortlessly eased his way around carts and pedestrians that caught his attention. It was what the man was wearing.

Large furs over thick wool and hide. Even in the coldest days of winter, such heavy attire wasn’t needed this far South. The man stuck out like a sore thumb among thin cotton tunics or breezy wool shirts.

If that wasn’t enough, the deep blue coloring and pure white accents of his clothes were more than enough to identify the man. The sigil sown into the chest, portraying a hammer on a field of snow, was just overkill at that point.

A Messenger, Austin thought. The compass was a dead giveaway, and it was only a moment before the man looked up from it and locked eyes with Austin. The needle was pointing directly at him and had stilled once he stopped moving.

Messenger skills are such bullshit. I knew giving them my aura and mana signature was a bad idea. I was literally a world away.

“Sir Austin,” the messenger put his hand to his chest in greeting, “I have a letter for you from Lord Zalenski and Lady Stevenson.”

Ha! Lord Zalenski. I told Chris he would lose that battle.

“No time like the present, mate, let’s see what the big man wants,” Austin said, holding out his hand.

Mana welled in the man’s hand as two Skills were used in quick succession. One was probably to verify his identity, while the other pulled the letters from thin air.

Oh, fascinating… D-rank Messengers have spatial storage? I wonder what grade of Profession is needed for that? I doubt Common Messengers get something like that.

Austin curiously took the two letters and asked a question he was curious about as he opened them, “How long did it take you to find me? It couldn’t have been easy, eh?” The Canadian colloquialism had stuck, no matter how hard Austin tried to stop it.

“Three months, sir, you didn’t make it easy.” The messenger replied.

Three months? Messenger skills are more than just bullshit. It took me a year to get here. I wandered a bit and lingered in some areas, but still!

He quelled the frustration as he focused on the letters. Both were covered in twirling lines that glowed an icy blue. The runework was obviously Christopher’s, but the meaning was beyond Austin. He assumed it was a Rune lock to make sure only Austin opened it.

He’s made vast strides since the last letter. That one looked like a child’s drawing compared to the one in his hand. The seal was different, too. The wax was stamped with the very sigil ring Austin had gotten for him years ago. The hammer’s definition came through even on melted wax.

Abigail’s seal was different. Instead of a hammer in a field of snow, she used a cresting wave with a background of falling snow.

He read Christopher’s first.

~~
Austin,

I’ll begin this letter by saying I don’t know how quickly information spreads or how far you are from home, but I felt I should write you to make sure there are no unfounded rumors you hear or come across in the coming days or weeks.

I still remember the wild rumors Lakeshore sparked, saying I destroyed the entire city, even when that was patently untrue. It wasn’t even a quarter of the city, and that ignores the fact that it wasn’t even me doing the destroying.

That being said, there has been a slight altercation in the south that I’ve had to deal with. The Heartlands Alliance and the Reservation both set their eyes on Marcus’s treasure, and disabusing them of that notion took a bit of force.

Additionally, we answered Vanessa’s call when Zuri finally attacked. The fact that New Boston and New Canada joined her made it more difficult, but it was handled all the same.

As of when I write this, both have been resolved, one more permanently than the other.

Unfortunately, I did not come out of both unscathed, but I have since returned home and am in the process of healing. Ashley is fixing me up, but my Spirit is another matter. If you remember Jonathan after the Assessment, you can imagine my frustration.

I’m unsure when it will be fully healed, but circumstances force me onward all the same.

While helping Vanessa fend off an attack, I came into direct confrontation with Ryan, the Leader of New Canada, if you remember. I didn’t think anything of him at the time, but he proved my instincts wrong. Somehow, he managed to come by an artifact that should not be on Earth.

It stank of the divine and was the source of my Spiritual wound.

I managed to injure him critically, nearly fatally, but the rat managed to escape somehow. Hal and Killian both returned empty-handed. Neither a corpse nor a lead was found. Killian suspects outside help, but he isn’t certain.

Wounded as I am, killing him comes first, but more importantly, destroying that sword. I won’t allow any divine meddling ever again.

As Ashley heals my body, I’m building what’s required for the next Body Refining Step. Reaching Body of Copper without the use of my Spirit or Anchor will be difficult, but I will need it if that sword is used against me again.

Depending on when this reaches you, our Eastern offensive may have already begun, or it could be just beginning. Lindon is our best Messenger, but even he will struggle to find you depending on how far you’ve gone.

This letter isn’t to call you home or urge you to return. I just wanted to inform you of what’s happened before you hear the twisted truth as the information spreads.

Hope you are well,
-Christopher.
~~

As Austin reached the end of the letter, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Reading it was a roller coaster of high and low, only to be wrapped up with a ‘hope you’re well’.

He needs to get better at transitioning. ‘That being said’, ‘Additionally’, ‘Unfortunately’. He can do better than that.

Still, it took him a moment to digest the information. It had taken Jonathan months to heal his Spirit after tearing it during the Assessment. A wound strong enough to hobble Chris? Dealt through a sword like that?

The implications… scared him. If Christopher felt the need to reach Body of Copper before running down Ryan, then he’d seriously downplayed the threat the sword posed.

The worst part was that Austin knew Chris wouldn’t give up. Not when it came to anything to do with gods or the divine. Not after the tutorial. Even if the chance of death was nearly certain, Chris wouldn’t stop. The letter said ‘circumstances force me onward,’ but in reality, it was his own need to end the threat. Not that Austin faulted him for it, he hated the gods too, but not even waiting until fully healed?

Austin moved on to Abigail’s letter, hoping it contained better news.

Most of it was the same, a retelling of what happened from a second perspective. She had stayed in Frostheim and hadn’t participated in the battles themselves, so it was from a secondary source, but funnily enough, it contained more information.

Chris downplayed a lot, Austin thought as he read a more in-depth recounting. He left out killing Tasunka, getting a chunk torn out of him. Running east in a week. Fighting Zuri, Ryan, Bri, and Robert.

Hell, he nearly caught up to my level in only a few weeks!

Austin’s jovial attitude fell away when he got to the part that was different from Chris’s letter.

~~
…

I know he will try to downplay what happened and act like he’s unbothered, but I’m scared for him, Austin. You know how he is. I caught him washing his hands for an hour the other day, just scrubbing and scrubbing even though his hands were clean.

He refuses to open up and won’t talk about it other than stating the facts of what happened. I had thought he was getting better, but the sword opened up old wounds he refuses to let heal. Feeling that energy again… I worry for him.

His nightmares are back, too. You remember how he used to wake up screaming in the middle of the night during the tutorial. It’s even worse now. Not only does he wake up screaming, but his aura flares like when he’s in the middle of a fight.

… I just don’t know what to do, Austin. I know you like your adventure and are probably off in the wilderness somewhere, but if you’re on the way home or thinking of coming back, I know Chris could use your presence.

By the time you get this letter and make it back, he should be coming back from the East. Depending on how things go there, he could be better by then, but he could also be much worse.

By the way he’s stomping around and how prickly he’s being, I don’t expect the battles to take very long. He had little patience for things before, but now he has none. With Ryan and Pierre out of the picture, New Canada won’t be able to put up much of a fight.

I just hope he doesn’t do anything rash out of anger.

If that isn’t enough to sway you into coming home, our next Assessment isn’t that far off from what I can tell. On average, it’s ten years between E-rank and D-rank Assessments, but it can come as early as next year. Five years is on the low end, historically, but it’s happened before.

It would be nice if you were home just in case it starts early. We don’t know if we’ll get an early warning like we did last time. We can’t count on having a large obelisk with a clock.

After what we did for Vanessa, you could even spend some time with the Fire treasure she has as well, which is totally not a bribe.

With love,
-Abigail

P.S. Ryan is a Light Affinity Support Mage. Once Christopher finishes with New Canada, he should have some Light-aspected Skills, Techniques, and materials. Ashton, too, but I doubt he’ll have better than Ryan.
~~

Austin burned both letters to ash and let his hands drop to his side before letting out a deep, resigned sigh. One wasn’t enough, so he did it again.

If his nightmares were back, things were worse than he thought. He’d gotten over them after the tutorial had ended, but it had taken months. He also didn’t take killing people well, which he had done a lot of if the letters were enough to go by, and he was about to do more.

I could have done without the guilt trip, though, he thought bitterly.

“Do you have anything you wish for me to carry back?” Lindon, the messenger, asked, “It will help my Skills if I’m carrying a missive.”

Austin sighed for the third time.

“Does it have to be a letter, or can I just tell you?”

“Orally works just fine.”

Austin smirked, “Have you ever seen Mrs. Doubtfire?”