My awareness snapped bato my body, causing my hand jerked back from the building, as if on fire. Shuddering, I looked around, even though it hurt like hell to move my head. I was surrounded by the troops. Even some of the newly minted footmen that had already received their power armor had joined in guarding me. Now, 18 pairs of eyes watched every shadow iown square. They sed every roof top and examined every person who came anywhere near us

  John and Jim kept their attention mostly on me. I could tell they were ready to put me down if I wasn't myself anymore. I'd mentiohe possibility at some point, after we dealt with Grais. Nobody liked thinking about body snatchers getting them, but it would be the height of idioot to prepare for it.

  "That went well." Sarcasm dripped profusely off my tongue." How long was I out?" My voice slurred, I wobbled a bit. Yup, all the alterations done on my stats had messed severely with my bahis was not ued. I still had more work to do, so the disorientation would likely get much worse.

  "About an hour, Hoss. You Good?" He left the, "Are you still you question" question unspoken. Anything riding my flesh would simply lie, it was better to wait for it to give itself away.

  "Yes, the main problem has been fixed. Step one, down. Now, I have to piother css. Please, keep on watg out for me?" The teeth itg sensations had me expeg an attack at any sed.

  "We're on it." John gave me a nod. I could ruly expin the real value loyalty possessed, but I could feel it now.

  I pced my hand oown Hall again and picked Choose Css.

  [ Mage of Transformation

  +2 to Will

  +1 to Cool

  +2 to Intelligence

  A Mage that specializes in transmutations.

  Starting Spells: ge Color, Alter Minor Property ]

  I had to admit I still didn't see how this css was useful to us. ging something's color while iing didn't seem necessary. Alter Property could be very useful or it could be worthless. I wouldn't be able to tell how valuable this css might be without pig it.

  [ Elemental Mage

  +2 to Will

  +1 to Cool

  +2 to Intelligence

  A mage that wields the Elemental forces. Specializations are avaible.

  Starting Spells: Fme Bolt, Frozen Shackles, Dispce Earth, Breeze ]

  There was a lot of utility there. I suspected that the Elemental and Nature mana would likely synergize very well. I'd already noticed that nature mana seemed to have some of the properties of the four base elemental forces. Oher hand, choosing this css might end up being a hat on a hat situation. Raw Nature Mana could be shaped to do most of the things the starting spells seemed to do. With more effort, and practice I had no doubt that I could perform most of the same feats.

  [ Mage of Space

  +2 to Will

  +1 to Cool

  +2 to Intelligence

  A Mage that maniputes the fabric of Reality itself.

  Starting Spells: Dimensional Pocket, Expaep ]

  I had a strong feeling about this css. It not only sounded badass, it seemed incredible useful for my goals. Whether that was true, would really depend on ells I could learn down the road. A dimensional pocket would be a good way to hide things, and smuggling was alrofitable. I wasn't sure what Expaeps did, but it seemed iing. I suspected it pyed with distances.

  Hmm. I was going to take a ce but not much of one.

  [ Mage of Space has reached Level 6

  You have gained Dimensional Pocket

  You have gained Expaep

  You have gained Between Points

  You have gained Know Location

  You have gained +7 Will

  You have gained +6 Cool

  You have gained +7 Intelligence

  You have gained +12 Free Points ]

  My hand flew off of where it'd touched the Town Hall. Everything was whirling around me. I felt my st meal trying to escape. Stop the ride, I want off. I stumbled backwards, barely managing to catch myself before my ass hit the ground. Then I once again struggled to let the tents of my stomach have their freedom again.

  "Someo me the number of that truck." I groaned. Swallowing back the raising bile.

  "Deep Breaths." John enced. He was a wall of darkness, his thoughts and feeling hidden deep. Maybe even from himself.

  It took a few minutes of sug air and pretending that trolling my breathing mattered, for me tain a sembnce of normalcy.

  "Alright, that step two down. Now we o hit the Nexus and then see Meadran, so I increase my strength further." Something was about to blow up, but I all my efforts to figure out what had been fruitless.

  "Hoss, you don't o shoulder everything yourself. It's okay to lean on others." His was baked into his voice, and I could feel it coiling around him. He didn't want to fail again. What? How did he fail? No, not my business. He'll tell me when he is ready.

  "Would you? Jim, in my situation, would you really want others to help you? Even if you did, would you let them?" He shrugged and seemed to defte even in his armor. I nodded, "I need your help and I'm doing my best to share the burden, but some things I have to do myself, because there is no one else that ." All the folks I summoned would likely go their own ways if I died. I might never be the hero of this story. I might not be the o our eo their knees. I had a hard time accepting that. I had to accept that I was the glue. I could see that now. It was my task to gather all the people who still cared about f better lives under one bao create a pce for them to thrive. I don't know why it me took so long to see it. That epiphany resonated all the way down to my toes.

  Let's look at the new Css's spells. Dimensional Pocket created a space of (Level of skill) yard(s) cubed. This space couldn't be accessed by others, and sadly, it couldn't tain living beings. After the initial casting which would drain a ton of energy, I only had to spend a small amount of mana to open or close the space.

  Expaep increase the distance my steps traveled. So at skill level one my steps gaira yard of dista skill level two, two extra yards and so on. It would st as long as I provided mana. I could see this being very useful, but it would likely take a lot of training to be able to use it effectively.

  Between Points was an odd spell. It could ge the distaween any two points I could see. That would require a rge amount of testing. I could see that shrinking the distaween myself and a friend could be fun, while expanding the distahat an enemy's fist had to travel would be useful. But could I twist the distance? Could I fold it ba itself?

  Know Location ell that could locate anything that was A) not protected from sg and B) within the same causal reality. What "causal reality" meant wasly clear to me, Some testing required. However, that would make a few tasks much easier, starting with Saphie. I'd get on that just as soon as this looming threat passed.

  Alright, I'll let all of that percote in the bay mind. It was time to settle my stomach by clubbing it with some food. Besides I had a feeling that I'd need all the energy I could scrape together right then.

  "e on, we'll grab a bite before we head into the Valley." Somehow, I felt a lot more alive. Everything was more vibrant, and my sense of myself in a space had increased. Once I'd beore acclimated to these sensations I'd a notion that stumbling would be a thing of the past.

  We wrecked quite a number of ration packs. We brutally devoured our meals, it's like we had all been starving. I wondered why. No one dared e near us as we ed our fill.

  When we were finished, we marched up the path to the Valley. Of some increasing was that Jaina hadn't shown up, nor had Megan or Sally. Not even Amanda had e by to see Raynor. Something sneaky was going on. I just hoped it was uo the burning ay in my gut.

  We bypassed Meadran for the moment, and headed to the Nexus first. Partially because, I wao save bumping up the Arch Druid Css until st. Partially because, I wao stop in real quick to look at a few of the sgun schematics. Maybe, make a few adjustments and build one. Just one. I mean, e on, it's a ser gun! My inner kid was fug going nuts. Sometime you have to listen to your inner child, dammit! No matter the danger.

  [ -Smith has reached Level 6

  You have gained Psi Teique, Overclock Self

  You have gained Psi Teique, Expedite Build

  You have gained +3 Psi Resonance

  You have gained +2 Tech

  You have gained +4 Free Points ]

  After the screaming agony of getting my head stuffed with more Khai knowledge, my first coherent thought was, Nice!

  Overclock Self let me speed up my thought processes. Expedite Build was an ability to speed up any form of stru. These were just what the doctor ordered! Giggling like a schoolgirl, or cag like a true mad stist, I ran to the Fe and loaded up the schematic of the Marshall's Laspistol. I immediately used Overclock Self. My narrowed all ing focus meant that I didn't even notice the judging stares of my men. Even if I had, I was far too ied in this idea.

  Less than 5 mier I had an improved Laspistol design ready to go. Just switg it to have a Psicrystal power and trol system increased it's output and stability by a small amount. It could also be overcharged if it erated uhe Psifield. Using crysbronze for the shell had decreased the weight and increased the durability. I had also altered the design to look a little more like a modern firearm.

  Using Expedite Build had the first prototype out ihan three minutes. When it was pleted, I danced a jig. Again I barely noticed that the guys all ughed at my antics.

  I took the newly fed on out to the testing ranged just behind the Nexus a loose a few shots at the crysbroargets. The performance was in a phrase, a Great Success! A couple of shots sgged each target. The beams the oed were a bright electric blue, and crackled like psma. Yet they had the stability, distand accuracy of a ser. All of this was without engaging the overchargiure.

  I now had a light weight pistol that could fun as an anti vehicle on. I immediately cast Dimensional Pocket. Once, I could feel the space open I gently id the pistol inside. I liked that the spell had no obvious opening.

  Once everyoopped giving me shit for spurging out, we went to visit Meadran.

  We got a pleasant surprise once we made it to Meadran's isnd. Faergin and Korvaith were already there waiting for us.

  Faergin had grown almost five more feet i, though he had not gained mu the way of girth leaving him with an overly skinny appearanew mystic symbols had developed on his bark, each glowed a faint blue. Korvaith's growth had trended in the opposite dire only gaining a few inches of height, while thiing up quite a bit. His new armor ptes already o be adjusted to aodate his massive frame. He had his oversized rifle's stock resting on the ground so that the barrel leaned up against him.

  'We were waiting for you Young One.' Meadran's bled through the tree work.

  'Hello, test Arch Druid. It is good to finally be able to speak to you.' A mellow voice, like the wind through leaves, ehe work. There was the sense of seasons passing while my roots grew deeper.

  'Faergin?' Three voices ughed in my head. 'Korvaith, too? That's great!'

  'Not... quite... yet.' A deep growling voice faintly responded. A deep ahreaded that e. A desire to strike back at those who would despoil the forest, filled the air.

  'Any progress right now is good. Look, I don't know what is ing but something has me all muddled inside. If you could watch over the Valley until whatever happens pys out, it would help me out a lot." I tried to let them sehe turmoil inside my gut. Then allowed them to feel my mana bug nervously around my body.

  'Yes, that is definitely some form of prophecy. Though not a very clear one.' Faergi a vision of branches being sogether.

  'Hmm. A dark intuition, Young Ohe determination to grow through rod stone, bubbled through his link.

  'Whatever... Break... Through... ' A desire to smash foes was Korvaith's answer. I had a feeling that was going to be his answer for everything. Heh.

  I asked the question I had been dreading, 'Have any of you seen Lumi?'

  'About three days ago, I saw him running across the Badnds to the north. He never said anything about where he was going or why.' Faergin responded.

  I pondered everything I knew about the furry troublemaker. Lumiar was meant to be my panio from the start I'd gotten the impression that Lumi wasn't really a team pyer. Even when we could spend time together he preferred to do his own thing. Nothing wrong with that, at least not until nobody any any clue where you were, or if you were okay. No, the more I thought about it, Lumi wasn't normal. Now that I had been exposed to the divine, I knew for sure that Lumi was somehow reted to those energies. I was absolutely certain he wasn't what the pany had in mind for my panion. Heh. I really had been hijacked by outside forces from the start.

  The question now was, what did a divine wolf want? What could such a creature want here of all pces. Nothing useful came to mind. 'I'll have to hope he handle himself for now.' I shook my head as I pced my hand against Meadran.

  [ Arch Druid of Renewal has reached Level 5

  You have gained Shapeshift: Serpent

  You have gained Shapeshift: Lesser Treant

  You have gained Aura rowth

  You have gained Aura of Growth

  You have gained +12 Spirit

  You have gained +12 Will

  You have gained +8 Intelligence

  You have gained +16 Free Points ]

  I added the levels o a time letting each settle before adding the . I tried not to dwell oeresting additional abilities, fht now. I moved on and used all the accumuted free points with the same mi, o a time. There were so many that I'd likely would've fried my nerves if I did it all at once. While I had little in the way of a model for parison, my stats looked quite high to me. sidering that peak human was 10, I was now... What? Superhuman? Demigod like? I really had no way to know how I stacked up.

  I spent a few minutes jumping and stretg to test my new range of motion. This led to some iing discoveries. My bance was insane, which would e in handy because even what I thought would be a lite hop, unched me high up into Meadran branches. However, the mistake which would normally have caused a bit of mild panic, had no effey emotional state. I stayed calm, my eady and easily caught myself on a branch. Just as easily, I dropped twenty feet to the ground. My knees barely flexed. Something about hitting twenty in a stat ged things. Dramatically. Though I hadn't yet noticed any real difference when Will, Spirit or Intelligence crossed that line. Why would that be?

  Feeling like I had a handle on things, for now, I turned my attention to the new abilities. Shapeshifting was mostly self expnatory. Though I had no desire to experiment with either versiht now. Snake or tree, what a choice. The Treant I got, but why a serpent?

  The Auras were passive effect versions of the spells. Their standard state was on, I had to trate to turn them off. Basically, I made pnts grow around me and also made people feel better just by being near me. Yes, Aura rowth still had that effect, just not as intehe fels were all shifting unfortably, until I mao figure out how to shut off the Aura. Thankfully, the Treefolk were ued. I didn't want to know how they got down.

  Another iing note was how little mana the Auras used. Maybe a quarter as much as casting the spell at the same level on all of same amount of people. That didn't seem to with my uanding of how energy worked, but I was being somewhat io the oddities of magic at this point.

  Now, it was time to head back to the Valley. But first...

  'Meadran, in the worse case sario, you uproot and leave the area?' I had to make sure that they could fend for themselves.

  'If I must.' A sense of reluce.

  'We will aid him, if it es to that.' Faergin's thoughts were of green shoots growing through ash den soil.

  'Grrrr...' Korvaith projected fidence he could shoot anything before it roblem.

  'Thanks you guys. I really do worry about you. Stay safe, no matter lease.'

  'Your is toug, Young One.'

  I turo the humans, "Alright time to go and figure out what the hell is going on."

  'Executor, I have a report.' Alina's voice flooded the Psifield. What suspicious timing. I held up my hand to indicate tact.

  'Alright Alina, let's hear it.' I was certain, I wasn't going to like this.

  Matustos