A Summoner Awakens, Chapter 8 [Unexpected Blessings]

It only took a few minutes to jog to the base of the Bear Peak Mountains. I could feel the Effects of the Stamina Enhancement and was pleased I'd commandeered it from the mercenaries. Though, I couldn't wholly credit my comfort to my current physique.

The base of the gorge had a nice, smooth surface, so travelling through the canyons of the Howling Hills was much more agreeable than traversing the thick growth in the forest. The Howling Hills above the gorge were just as bad. If I'd been hunting the hills, I would have worn myself out before making it this far.

I glanced up at the mountains on the outskirts. They were nothing special... At least not compared to those further up the Tower. On the First Floor, all but one mountain was small enough that their peaks could be seen clearly from the bottom. Higher up the Tower, the Floors expanded, and even the hills would take immense effort to climb.

Hiking the slope leading out of the canyon, I eventually saw the semi-barren land separating the hills from the mountains. Along this line, the glowing tracks of a few other Wielders appeared when I used Tracking, but I couldn't see any sign of my prey. Luckily the number of hunters was low, four or five at the most, and it didn't seem likely that they would interfere with my task even if I stayed in this area.

I should really consider Leveling my Movement...

I'd acquired enough wealth to Level one of my new Cards while still keeping most of what was needed for the payment on my estate. Levelling the Movement Enhancement or Dash would save me time in this hunt... but there were still the task rewards and the Holy Card I should earn from the Academy...

"Aaaagghhhhh!"

Before I could consider it further, a frightened shout sounded from the left side of a nearby mountain. Recalling the screams on the Origin Floor, I used Dash to get to the top of the nearby ridge... and almost exploded with laughter at the scene below.

Two men were fighting a bear... or, at least, they seemed to be trying to. The bear was sprinting forward, chasing after a chubby man with cropped brown hair that bounced around like a toupee. He wore a set of brown robes that were too small around the midriff and only carried the belt upon which his Deck Box was fastened.

Behind him, the other man was the source of the screaming. He sat atop the bear, clinging tightly to the fur around its neck and holding on with all he had. The man's loose robes flew into his face with every bound of the giant bear, covering the red hair and freckles beneath. Weapons and supplies were strewn all around the small valley.

"Deacons," I sighed.

Most Wielders frowned upon interfering with another Party's battles, but I was sure these men would die if I didn't step in. I sped down the hill and triggered Rend while unsheathing my blade. How often would I have the luxury of live bait to test new abilities? Of course, if things became too heated, I would end this fight swiftly.

The bear was faster than me while Dash was on Cooldown, but the stout man had noticed my presence and turned toward me, waving his arms. To my surprise, he didn't cry for help. Instead, he yelled for me to run away, saying it was dangerous. After all the trouble people had caused me in my younger years, this was a breath of fresh air.

I smiled and sprinted by him, ducked under the bear's paw as it made to swipe at me, and dragged my blade across its stomach. The Beast howled in rage and stood tall, flinging the small red-headed man from its shoulders as it did so. Though my strike hadn't wavered, the wound on the bear's side looked like it had been torn by jagged claws.

The damage was impressive.

The bear struck out, ignoring the wound that spilt blood as it moved. My blade still shone red from the active Ability. I sidestepped the creature's swing and struck its shoulder. Another irregular gash emerged following the trajectory of the sword's strike.

With an angry snarl, the bear gave up on me and turned to chase down the easier prey. The red-haired man still lay prone where the Beast had tossed him. However, it never had a chance to reach him. Between my sprint down the hill and the brief encounter, Dash had come off Cooldown.

I leapt forward at high speed and Pierced forward. My sword drove deep into the creature's neck. The Effects of Rend tore the inside of its throat. I yanked my blade free and leapt back, avoiding the blood that spilt from its various wounds. Either from asphyxiation or loss of blood, the brute fell to the ground seconds later.

I frowned and looked at my sword. The dull red aura blinked from existence when the Ability's Duration ended. It was a practical move against larger targets or those with high Vitality, but it did nothing more than make a mess for normal mobs. The corpse had stopped bleeding as the Essence was formed, but pools of blood soaked the ground around it.

My thoughts were interrupted when the two Deacons approached me. The short, red-haired man stared at me with a goofy grin. He was bouncing up and down with excitement, and from this distance, I could tell he was no older than me... Well, the current me.

The taller, stout man was more reserved and wrung his hands like he wasn't sure what to say. I'd been so tied up in my head that I hadn't even seen the shorter one get to his feet. I really needed to stop doing that.

"Tha-" the bigger man began, but the redhead cut him off.

"Thank ya fer helping us!" he almost shouted in excitement, "I'm Locke! An' this 'ere is Nick! We was kicked out o' the Church last week. How'd ya cause all 'at there damage?! Are you really only a student? Wh-"

"Easy now," I chortled. "Can't answer more than one question at a time, after all."

The youth blinked quickly and then blushed in embarrassment. Locke looked down at his feet, and the fellow named Nick stepped forward to take his place. The Deacon bowed slightly, surprising me, as even a mere Deacon of the Church typically held more authority than most of the wealthy merchant families from the Academy.

"We greet you, sir. Thank you for stepping in to assist us. We may not have survived otherwise," he smiled and stood still, his head slightly bowed.

I patted him on the shoulder and helped him up, "No need for any of that. I'm no one special. What are you two gentlemen doing out here? It's uncommon to see a clergy member this far from the Church pulpit."

"Ahh..." Nick scratched at the back side of his toupee as if he weren't sure how to answer.

"That's my fault, it is," Locke said timidly, still looking at his feet. Though he suddenly seemed to find his confidence again once he spoke, "I-I questioned the Book of Liberation cause somethin' just didn' seem right. The Priest 'ad me tossed out, and Deacon Nicholas 'ere walked out with me. He's taken right good care o' me since I was little he 'as."

"I see." I looked at the ex-Deacon, "I suppose you gentlemen are out here trying to earn enough Essence to move to the Second Floor."

The stairs may have been within the Academy, but they were guarded by the Tower's Government. Without proper registration, the guards would bar anyone from entering the Second Floor. It was the Government's way of keeping up with Wielders when they returned to the Origin Floor. For example, they didn't want some powerhouse from the Fiftieth Floor walking around the city without their knowledge.

"Yes, sir," Nicholas nodded. "There is no place on the Origin Floor for an excommunicated member of the clergy... and everyone on the First Floor knows us. Our only option is to register and start over somewhere new. We were hunting the smaller wolf groups in the hills last night, but when the day came, I thought we would be safer taking one bear at a time than attempting the canyon on our own."

I nodded, rubbing my chin. He was right. Taking on a single bear was much more straightforward than facing a cave full of wolves. At night, the wolves only traversed the hills in groups of three to five. If they could handle that... then they weren't useless...

"Alright, I think we can come to some accord," I pulled a vial of Infernal Wash from my pack and placed a drop on my hand, cleansing the blood from my skin and garments.

"S-Sir?" Nicholas squinted as if he were trying to get a read on me. There were numerous stories of Wielders luring others off to kill them and take their Cards. "I'm not-"

"Jus' tell us what ya be needin' from us!" Locke shouted enthusiastically.

The boy's naivety made me chuckle. He'd have to work on that if he wanted to survive the Tower. I turned a questioning gaze to Nicholas, who, after a bit of hesitation, nodded in agreement.

"Good lad," I patted the youth's shoulder and looked at Nicholas. "As a Deacon, your registration should already be taken care of, so you only need the Essence for this exemplary young fellow, correct?"

The man looked at me oddly but nodded, "Aye. We've already earned the Essence needed for his registration. Our goal was to save enough to cover a month's stay on the Second Floor while we get our bearings."

I smiled, clapping my hands. "Brilliant! Then you boys follow behind for the afternoon. Collect the Essence of the bears I hunt, and you can take a cut from the pile. That suit your fancy?"

"Why would-"

"I'm on the clock, you see," I nodded to the corpse. "If you gentlemen choose not to accompany me, the Essence will go to waste."

"So... yer sayin' we can jus' follow you anyways an' take the Essence if we want?" Locke asked, confused. I just shrugged in response. They could if they wanted, but if they landed in a spot of trouble, I wouldn't help, and I'd end up with the Essence anyway.

"We'll take the work," Nicholas said quickly. "Thank you for your generosity."

"Oh, and one more thing," I smiled. "No matter what, don't touch a single Beast until you've confirmed their death."

The two nodded in response, though their faces were filled with confusion. In unison, they began collecting their scattered gear, and while Locke farmed the corpse for its Essence, Nicholas approached.

"I'm sure it was a mistake, but the Church didn't ask for their Cards back. Most are only Level 1, but I might can provide some assistance," he said hesitantly. My eyebrows rose in surprise, it was a considerable risk to tell me this, and he trusted that I wouldn't kill him for his Deck. "Would it provide any benefit if I cast my Blessings on you?"

My surprise turned to delight, "That, sir... would be bloody brilliant."

***

The hours passed, and the beautiful blue sky turned orange as the sun moved to the far corners of the Floor's ceiling. The inner edge of the Old Boar Forest bustled with activity as the hunters and woodsmen made their way back to town.

Wielders, students, and simple hunters who resided on the First Floor wandered by the farms as they boasted about the day's kills. Horses and carriages waited by the path for the wealthy hunters, while those without means were forced to return to town on foot.

The less fortunate coughed and eyed the carriages with annoyance as they threw dust in the air. Many had to quickly step to the sides of the road to avoid being trampled. Others were already walking through the mud closer to the fields to avoid the hazard in the first place.

Injured hunters limped slowly or leaned on their Party members for support. These groups, in particular, stared at the swiftly receding carriages covetously. Those with wealth didn't know the hardships of those who started with nothing. Most Wielders never earned their first Cards until reaching the Second Floor, where the mobs had a chance to drop them upon death.

Injuries on the First Floor were dangerous for the poor. Only the Churches held Cards with healing or curing Spells. It was common for people to die between the forest and town, their eyes glazing over as they stared hopefully toward the steeples. Even if they managed to drag themselves to the altar, they would only be healed at the cost of the day's Essence.

Such was life on the First Floor. The rich would rush home and get plenty of sleep. The poor would get home late, wake up early, trudge back to the forest, and risk making mistakes that could cost them their lives from their lack of sleep.

Many accepted this way of life, but others strove to change their circumstances. This was only the beginning for many who wouldn't let their dreams be shattered.

***

"Oi, Nick! Did ya see that?" Locke called as he cut open another corpse. "Rowan's already killed nearly four 'undred o' these Beasties, and he's still puttin' it to 'em!"

"Yes, yes, I see," Nicholas shook his head over the boy's zeal. In all the years he'd known Locke, he'd never seen the youngster so worked up. "If only I could have gotten you to show the same interest in your studies."

Nicholas turned to face the strange youngster again as he thrust his sword into the neck of another Beast. Through the slaughter, the youth remained calm and collected. There had been an incident a few hours prior where he'd been pretty riled up, but that was it.

The young man mentioned something about not being fast enough and said he needed to find a spawn zone. Nicholas was horrified at the idea. Killing them one by one was doable... but facing hordes?

As it turned out, there was no need for him to worry. The lad seemed an expert at luring out perfect-sized groups, which he then proceeded to tear apart with that tiny sword of his. He'd bait each group to a different location, allowing the pair ample time to collect the Essence after. So far, they were just shy of 1200, and this last group would push their coffers further.

Rather than watch the fight, Nicholas turned to Locke, smiling. The boy's eyes were blazing with a fire the old man had never seen. He'd found Locke on the street a few years prior and brought him into the Church. The youth wasn't the best pupil, but he was ambitious.

"Locke..." Nicholas started to say something but was distracted by a bright light coming from the direction of their benefactor. He whipped around, holding his staff out, prepared to cast a Spell... but stopped when he saw the cause. His jaw dropped. "By the Tower's light..."

A Card had just descended from the sky.

***

I stood with my hand outstretched, patiently waiting for the Card to fall within reach. The second hunt had gone much more smoothly after locating a spawn zone that wasn't too far from the Howling Hills. Bears were territorial, meaning they usually spread out sometime after spawning. In my first attempt, I'd only managed to kill just over twenty an hour.

The Card landed on my palm, and I wasted no time tapping it with my Demon Glass. The face of the Card had a male body, though it was divided into sections. One quarter showed his body, the next showed his muscles, then his organs, and finally his bones. It reminded me of the portraits different medical practitioners provided to the Network.

[Card Name: Constitution]

[Class: Enhancement]

[Rank: Blessed]

[Level: 1]

[Essence: 0/1,000]

[Description: Increases the Wielder's overall physique]

[Effect 1: The resistance of the Wielder's skin, bones, and organs to physical damage is increased. The Effects of the Wielder's Endurance are increased by 5%]

[Effect 2: The Wielder can push themself harder for longer before feeling fatigued. The Effects of the Wielder's Vitality are increased by 5%]

I read over the description carefully. Yet another Blessed Card to add to my Deck, and this one would assist me immediately. It was a long run back to the Academy, I wouldn't be getting much sleep, and tomorrow was the final exam. When I slipped the Card into my Deck Box, I instantly felt some minor relief... but it only did so much without the affiliated Foundations.

My eyes turned toward the sound of approaching footsteps. I'd observed them as they worked hard to collect the Essence and noticed Nicholas throwing glances my way. I'm sure he was curious about the Card... he had been a Deacon of the Church of Liberation, after all. Their faith in the Tower never waned.

I pulled a vial of Infernal Wash from my pouch, dripping the solution on myself, my blade, and my pack. Killing these beasts one at a time was no issue, but I'd been forced to use Rend to slow the movements of the groups I faced. It was quite messy.

"Care for some wash?" I asked the ex-Deacon when he came close.

"Uhh... Yes, please," he said, quickly adding a hurried, "Thank you."

Carefully tilting the bottle, I poured a drop on each of my two associates, "No need to thank me. The two of you have been a great help. I'm sure we're all knackered by now."

"You were amazin'!" Locke exploded like he'd been holding himself back for hours. "How you stabbed, an' then did that thin' with the twist, an' that slash, an'... an'..."

"Hoho! Take a breath," I laughed at the boy again, though I had to admit... his attitude was infectious. "So, how'd we make out?"

Nicholas handed over his small pouch of Essence and the much larger satchel I'd nicked from the Skull brothers. There were just over 410 shards between the two. Being they were Level 3 Essence, the total value was over 1200. I moved a few of the tiny crystals to the smaller pouch and handed it back.

"Here's your cut. You'll have to find a cheap in once you get there, but it should do," I'd given them 210 Essence from the haul.

He stammered, "B-But this is-!"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist," I laughed and patted the man on the shoulder. "You saved me a lot of trouble. You deserve proper compensation."

"Thank you!" The old man bowed gratefully, and this time, so did Locke.

I ushered them to stand, "Now, now. There's no need for all of that. I killed twice the creatures I'd intended, so you did double the work I'd meant for you to do. Think nothing of it."

"Now," I looked to the quickly dimming sky. "It should be dark enough that we can head through the canyons. The wolves will be up on the hills at this hour, so we can jog straight through to town."

The Deacon nodded, "I'll cast Blessings of Agility, Swiftness, and Stamina. We'll be as fast as horses for the next ten hours."

Different coloured auras enveloped the three of us as the Blessings took effect. I instantly felt lighter, and my movement speed increased by nearly 90% between all three buffs. Glancing at Nicholas, I thought of how well such a man could benefit me in the future. The Deacon's Cards were low Levelled now, so he couldn't stack more than three at a time, but in the future...

We took off, Locke merrily talking about my battles and how he'd love to become a proper Wielder one day. The trip went smoothly, and between our boosted speed and not having to face any enemies, we made it back to the edge of town in merely six hours. A well-trained horse might have managed in five.

I sighed inwardly when I bid the two men farewell. They were heading straight up to the Second Floor and told me to visit them when I moved up. Nicholas had a cousin who worked at the Drunken Pony, so they would rent a room there while learning about the place.

Three down, four to go. It's a shame Nicholas is leaving so soon. The tasks I'll face later wouldn't be such a chore if he were around.

I watched the backs of the two men disappear, then adjusted the weighty burdens on my shoulders and strolled toward the Academy.