CC 9: Tenacity ~ Epilogue

It appeared to be a message from the first entity once more, going off the grumpy undertones.

Joe, Tatum’s Chosen Legend, behold! The moment you've been waiting for has arrived: the final calculation of your undeserving experience gains. After extensive calculations, deep sighs, and countless eye rolls, we have calculated that you have received anywhere from 5-8% of the total experience for the monsters you had a hand in slaying. As we are being carefully observed by the administrator, note that you can see the full breakdown by clicking {here} if you would like to check our math on the 12,741 notifications.

I dare you.

No? Fine.

Experience gained: 101,335

Congratulations. You have reached level 27.

Remember that this is not a reward; it is simply a begrudging acknowledgment of your progress. We suggest you savor it, as it is extremely likely that the road ahead will be filled with frustration.

Battle Meditation has reached Student V!

Dark Lightning Strike has reached Student VIII!

Exquisite Shell has reached Student IX!

Mend has reached Journeyman IV!

Neutrality Aura has Journeyman V!

Retaliation of Shadows has reached Expert II!

Combat Ritual Orbs and Mental Manipulation Resistance have both reached Apprentice IV!

Somatic Ritual Casting (Student) has broken through to Journeyman 0! Congratulations! You are now able to create ritual circles up to the Apprentice rank in an instant if you have a deep enough understanding of them!

Omnivault has reached Master I!

Name: Joe ‘Tatum’s Chosen Legend' Class: Reductionist

Profession I: Arcanologist (Max)

Profession II: Ritualistic Alchemist (4/20)

Profession III: Grandmaster’s Apprentice (14/25)

Profession IV: None

Character Level: 23 → 27 Exp: 399,593 Exp to next level: 6,407

Rituarchitect Level: 11 Exp: 64,000 Exp to next level: 2,000

Reductionist Level: 5 → 6 Exp: 23,541 Exp to next level: 4,459

Hit Points: 2,360/2,360

Mana: 5,957/8,160

Mana regen: 69.85/sec

Stamina:1,848/1,848

Stamina regen: 6.64/sec (3.32 reserved for Artisan Body)

Characteristic: Raw score

Strength (bound): 176

Dexterity: 178

Constitution: 171

Intelligence (bound): 185

Wisdom: 173

Dark Charisma: 126 → 136

Perception: 173

Luck: 110

Karmic Luck: 23

Quest reward ready for pickup: Return to Occultatum at 25 and earn a ‘’super spell’ variation.

Quest complete: Student Ritualist III. Monsters slain with a Ritual of Slaughter: 1,000/1,000. Reward: Slaughter was its own reward, if you took the loot.

Quest complete: Journeyman Ritualist. Coven Established: 1/1. Student-ranked Ritualist: 1/1. Reward: Knowledge that you have brought others on the path, as well as a Journeyman-ranked utility item that will be customized to your needs.

Item gained: Mana Condenser Diagram. This utility diagram shows how to condense mana from the environment into a usable form. Gathering that mana is your problem! Excellent for creating rituals that require constant channeling of power, and necessary for the creation of Mana Battery recharging stations.

Utterly flabbergasted by how sharply his level and skills had increased, Joe resolved to make a shrine at the bare minimum in the near future to commune with Tatum. He was going to get that reputation reward, and he was certain there would be other, additional cleric powers that he would be getting access to. “Also, that Student Ritualist quest was a bust. That’ll teach me to finish quests that don’t have a reward listed.”

He couldn’t actually bear the thought of being angry right now. Obligatory grumbling out of the way, and with a smile crossing his face, the Ritualist turned to the final message: which appeared to be standard mail. The only confusing part of that was the fact that almost no one would have sent him a message, as they all lived within the same one square mile. He opened it up, his smile fading away into serious concern as he read over the contents.

Subject: Urgent plea for help - Desperate Need for Rescue

Joe, I hope you are reading your mail more often than you usually do, as I think time is running out for me. Something I did set off the Elves, and they banished me to Jotunheim. They phrased it as a promotion, as a way to build an entire skyline with my talents, but I know it's an exile. As soon as I crossed the bifrost, I was assigned a menial task and cut off from all resources or study material. There's no escape in this place, and the distances involved are so vast that I have no idea how, or if, you could help me.

Frankly, I don't even know that you would. But I hope you will.

Somehow.

-Daniella.

“Well, that's a kick in the teeth.” Joe slowly lifted his hand and rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of anything he could do to help her. The message had come in days ago, and another one had not followed it. “I bet they were reading her mail, too. No wonder she got exiled. But… how in the world would I be able to find her? This planet is as large as the surface of the sun!”

He stood there for a short while, thinking over his options and coming up with nothing that could help him in this scenario, short of capturing the bifrost and using it as a beacon for her to eventually follow. While he was lost in thought, Havoc came strolling up and saw the bizarre expression Joe was making, hurrying over to slap him on the back. “Are you choking? No? Then snap out of it! Celebrate your victories, who knows how many of those you're going to get in the future?”

“Yeah, absolutely.” Joe agreed, trying to swallow down the confliction he was feeling at the moment. “Just got a letter from an old friend, and… I'm not even sure if she’s a friend or not.”

“Put that on the back burner and remember to forget her for a minute.” Havoc's metaphor felt like a gut punch to Joe, who winced from the butchered old Earth quotes. “Look around you! Less than two full Jotunheim days, and we have three years worth of growth! The walls are getting fixed up, proper this time! The buildings are full of people working hard, and everyone gets to live under the stars.”

“Yeah, about that-”

“No! No apartments, no houses! Tents! Tents for everybody!” Havoc cackled at him, the arm he’d casually thrown around the human now turning into a vice-like grip. “Finally, my people are getting back to their roots. Their determination is as strong as a mountain, their persistence as unyielding as a diamond hammer! Something you've done has had a great impact on their grit, their determination, and I think it's a combination of the bubble tents and sheer tenacity.”

“Havoc, it’s cold outside. A few apartments-”

The Dwarf clamped a hand over Joe's mouth and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “No homes! No apartments! No luxuries! Not until we have a full City! Even then, I’m fine with it being a tent-a-city!”