Chapter 23 - Kill Ten Hordelings (Part Nine).

Søren didn't know what to do or say when Ihza had turned her head and both eyes towards him. Given the way the Fuerven could look in multiple directions, he imagined it was a sign of respect to have them facing him. An interesting bit of their culture I don't know that we could have ever learned from remnants left behind in ruins or buried in dirt. Not unless it was written down somewhere.

Ihza resumed her vigil over Hari, gently tracing the patterns of his scales with her claws while he slept. That brought a smile to Søren's face. He looked up into the night sky that was falling over them. The sight of the gas giant slipping away beneath the horizon as well, revealing the velvet darkness of space, a scattering of twinkling diamonds, and a glowing red nebula that stretched like taffy across the sky. A starless void hung in the middle of the nebula. The nebula around the void was twisted and pulled towards the void, stretching it into an eye like shape. A dark mirror to the red eye-like shaped whorls on the surface of the gas giant.

A streak of fire crossing the night sky jolted Søren out of his daydreaming. Right... paths. Let's see what this interface has to offer. Søren brought the interface into focus and tapped on the star constellation icon to bring up his Potential. The entire view dimmed and the interface faded away. It was replaced by a starfield overlaid on top of a red nebula and dark void, a perfect replica of the sight he had just been staring at. He concentrated on the bright knot of intertwined light at the center of the tangle of light in front of him. The interface zoomed towards that point quickly.

Two bold lines forked left and right from the central point with four smaller lines of varying thickness, though they were mostly similar. The one he knew to be his Intellect was a bit more defined than the other three. Ignoring the attribute lines, he focused on the central knot of white lines. There was something about it that hinted at something greater. A hidden meaning. He tried forcing his will on the center of his Potential but only earned himself a dull throbbing headache. Fine... later then.

Søren followed the path leading right from the center, still having that sense of the overall shape of his Potential being a map of the central nervous system inside his head. Left handed people are the only ones in their right mind, he mused. A little ways down the path, a faint star pulsed quietly. Søren tapped on the star and it brought up a context menu of options to select. He skipped through most of them and settled on the Path of the Shaper. He dragged the icon of the shaper into the slot and felt it *snap* into place inside his mind. Whoa. Flickering images of the Atlantean symbols appeared in a cloud around the node.

It requires 540 TEK and 9 hours to integrate the Path of the Shaper (Copper I). Would you like to select the Path of the Shaper? Y/N

Søren tapped the icon to install the path and saw a new progress bar added to the bottom right corner of his interface. He backed out and moved to the left hand path and dragged the Path of the Artificer into the slot.

It requires 135 TEK and 2 hours 15 minutes to integrate the Path of the Artificer (Copper I). Would you like to select the Path of the Artificer? Y/N

He tapped the icon to install the artificer path as well. Søren saw numerous schematics, blueprints, and symbols appear around the node. Nothing to do for it now but wait. Strik had eventually given up watching Søren and helped clean up the camp with Sehro's assistance. Søren re-packed his satchel of first aid supplies. Neeka had the others lay down and get some rest. It appeared she intended to stay up and keep watch at the cave entrance. Ihza had fallen asleep cradling Hari's head still. Søren closed his eyes and leaned back against the boulder and tried to get some rest.

Neeka cleaned up her gear and took up a post near the entrance to the Mourning Cave. The bodies of the slain creatures had been tipped over the side of the plateau to rot in the woodlands below. No animal she knew of would eat the flesh of the hordelings. It was left to the insects and general rot and decay to claim them. The encounter with the hordelings had shaken her a bit. Her claws were still flexing against the haft of her spear, creating small gouge marks in the wood.

The other item of concern heavy on her mind was the increasing amount of ghostly images she saw in her vision. Small symbols and lines appearing along the edges of her sight. In similar shape and color as the status bars all people of Gaia grew up with. Søren's arrival, first Traveler in who know how many cycles, triggered something. Neeka waited for the rest of the group to fall asleep and then reached up and tapped one of the icons, a flashing icon that looked like the Archer's constellation in the stars above. The instant her claw touched the icon, pain wracked her mind. Her body twisted and contorted into an unnatural shape and her jaw was stuck open in a wordless scream. The pain turned to a warmth that spread outward from the brow to the back of her head, ending at the tip of the crest.

When she could see again, her vision was clouded with a three part skein of white lines and nodules connected to a single tangle of the white light in between the two halves on the left and right and in front of the web of light further away and half again as small as the other two. She tapped on the ball of light in the middle with her foreclaw and a blue box like the ones that had appeared during the Tutorial popped up onto her view.

What in the name of the Devourer!?

Congratulations Traveler! You have unlocked your Potential! Assessment of existing skills and paths has been completed and will now be displayed on your interface.

Ţ̶̧̖̗̲͍̝͎̭̰̽̈́̆͆̊̾͑̾̒̈́̋ẃ̷͚͙̠̜͉̂̌͝ǫ̸̳̜͓̹̟͉̈́̈́̎͛̐̒̃̎ ̴̰͙̻͓̲͚̼͙̜̅̿̾̎̒̑̇̄́̄̄T̸̬̹̳̾̉̉͛̏̿̈̄́̔̕͘̕͝͝ṛ̷̡̙̙̦̯͖͓͈̺̲́͌͐̉̂ȧ̵̧̱̱͕͓̟̈́̈́́̋́͊̆̽̽̋͐͛̕͠v̶͈͔̼͍͆e̷̡̻̖̘̩̳̞̪͚̯̭̙̥̖̱͕̊̏̑͒́͌̊̑͜l̸̨̛̼̜͑̀̔̓̆̿͐̽͗͑̇̓͛́̑͜ẻ̷̡̑̿̈͂͗͝r̵̳͍̙̰͎̗͎͉̭̫̗̎š̸̥̬̗̂́̽̀̒͌̌.̵̨̛̣̻̪͓̪̠̙̮͍̐̍͐̊̿́̋̄̚̕ ̵̨̢̧̨͙̹̼̼͎̬̗̜̀̓̓̈̇̔̋͘̚ͅY̶̭̑́̍͘͠o̵̳͘̚ứ̸̭̋̌͛ ̸̦̅̈̊̏̇b̴̜̻̹͙̩̣̮̗̮̩̹̺̠̭̼̩̓̊͌̈́͗́͗̈͌͘r̵̛̛̼̤̘̾̋̉̈́̌̏̍͆ĕ̸̯̺͚̖͈̟̺͉̩͕̫͙͔̮̀̀̑́̈́͛̌̀a̵̡̰̯̞̝̖̬͖͊k̵̢̨̛̠̳̞̞̲̥͉̺̱̼̤͋̈̑̈́̿̓͆͝͝ ̴̢͉̬̦̜̮̠̞̝̺͎͙̩̰̊͊̏̉͜͜͝ț̶̜͖̩̣̩̪͙̊͂̓̈́̓͋̄͘͜͠ͅh̶̢̳͙͇͎̠̫̠̗̖̩͙̘͕̯͌͗͌̅̏̌͜ë̶͈̝͖̲̭̞̗̤̠͓̮̫́̆ ̸̻̱̯͗̃̑R̴͉̱͓͚͉̞̼̘̱͎̃̒̿͐͛̽̚͜͠ȕ̵̧̢̩͙̯͎̟͍̩͊͌͜͝l̷̡͇̗̹̬͕̮̣̞̺̦̫̖͇̖̿̒̀̑̀̒̔̍̈́͆͌̿͝ͅȩ̷̝͈͈̪̪̞̬͈̉͐̅̉͘͜ͅs̵̱͈̠̫̩͗̑͑̿̊͗̿̉͘̚͘ ̶̤̙͔͕̭͕̗̠͂̓͗̿̋̓͊͗̌̀̐̌̒̒͗̃̕͜G̴͔͖͍͙̻͉̯͉̩̤͍̏̆̎̓̃̄̒͆̈́̏̑́̇̓̓̕͘a̷͇̹̩̗͉̜̗̞͎̜̰̍̆̽̎̌̈͛͝͠ͅm̷̖̯̮͎͔͕̣̥͔̮͔̞͚͋e̷̫̹̲̬͚̩͛͛̏͋͘̕ͅs̵̰̣̻̻̞̜͍͖͔͗̇͂̀̍͆̏̈̀ ̷̜̥̺͈̋̂̿̍̓̄͐̌͒̒̆͒̄̔̇͝͝M̷̢̡̨̬͚̝̼͔͎͙̣̫̯̬̀́̈͑̀à̵̛̘̦͈̭͔̳̰͎̯̑̉̑̔͆̿͒s̶̛̬͖̙͎̪̖͈͙̜̑̓̈́̒͑̏̔̌͑́͒̓́̚͠ț̸͎͖͔͇͖̍̋̊̊́͋͑͛̏̓̚͘ͅȩ̷̨̥̩̺̻̟̣͚̞͈̫͔̃̍̄͜͜ŗ̶͇̱̲̽͘ͅ.̸̡͓͎̳̠̦̳̮̓̾͐̐

The Chorus activated the Network, Warmind.

Y̷̙̐̀͌̈́̃̿̎̒ó̶̢͉̣̖͎̥͍͇̜̱̠͎̺̝̰͙̆͑́͋͆̾̈̊̓̿͑͒́̎͘ú̶͕̮̬̟̙̺̯̯̤̔̓͂̏̄̇̀̅̂̆̈́͛͝͝ ̴̢̘̭̜̣͕͙͎͈̗͍̗̩̀͝͝a̵̧̞͇̘̳̖̫͔̺̝͈̩͔͍̬̋̀̇̂͋̇͋̈́̊̐͂͐͐̒̚͝ļ̵͉̳̇̇̌̆̒̌̌̚̕͝l̴̳͓̈́̓͘ó̸̡̡̠̰̠̲̮̠̤͛͑̈́̄̆́́̇̏̇͆͝w̸̼̘̫̲̥̠̟̰̦̑͑̑̍̊̇̑̏̓́̈͑͜ȩ̶̡̦̥̖͚͈͍͇̻̤̫͎̥̯̖͂́͌̽̀́͘͝ͅd̶̟̻͎̫̟̐̌̓̄͒̈́̑̌͛̎̕̚͠ ̷̜̬͈̉̐͐̍̓́͊͂̊̄̇͘͝t̶̛̛̫̝̫̤̀̎͐̊͂́͘̚ḧ̴̨̢̗̠̥̳̙̲̥̝̦̯̞́͗̀͌͊̾́͘̕͝e̵̛̱̥̣̺͎̮͇̱̝̳̲̬̜̼̐̀͐̎̆͐͌̑̈́͒̑̃̚̚m̶̘͇͇̱͉̖̝̘̪͓̖̮̀̊̏ͅ ̴̨̽į̴̡̟͖̗̲̝͔̗̟͍̓̈́̋̈́ñ̶̜̝̞͚̞̣̘͕͈͓̲͌̌̎͋ͅ.̸̲͔̭̣̼̈́̎͘ ̶͈͕̤͈̲̤̼̜̹̗͕̯̹̜́͑̓̓́͂̿͒̓́̊̕ͅÝ̵̧͕̬̩̪̹̺̙͎̻̥͔̯̎̈̐̈́̏̾̀̎̏̅̃͆̏̚ͅȍ̶̱̜̟̻̩͉̭̥̌̋̾͑͆̾͜͜͝ͅŭ̷̫̙̦̣̲̲̬̑̈́̏͗͋͗̅̎̔̊̚ͅ ̴̢̨̡͓̫͖̤̙̞̮̟̱͔̤̟̂̒̃͂́͋̈́͜ͅȁ̴̧͍͖̘̫̩̠͇̫̪̑̀̀͌̊̚l̴̜͇̽̅͊͛͝ḷ̸̨̢͙̥̮̩̬͖̝͓̤̼̠͗̒̑͌͊̚͜͝ŏ̶͔̺͈̻̲̭̯̥͓̠͂̄̏̐́̀̋̕͜͜͠͝w̶̛̦̪͎̗̑̋̈́̑̒̍̇͘͜͝e̴̢̝͓͖̱͓̥̬̦̖͈͍͒̔͑͂͊́͂̓̌̃̿̀͘͠ͅď̵̖̙̘̱̭̣̖̝̤̠̼̝̤̆͋͂̂̒̓͛̂̌̀̕͠ ̶̨͚̑t̸͚͕̭͖̣̘̠̠̘̹̺͖̓̏̌̊̎̆̍̕͝h̷̭̞̟̠̙̟͚͔̻̒͆̂̉̈̽͗́͛̅̊͠e̴̠͔̣̎͊̏̈̄̕ͅͅm̸̡͙̥̤̠͕̓̈͝ ̶̨̪͍̘̭̬̠̞̺̩̻͍̫̟̀͛̒̄̈́ͅͅţ̶̭̳̰̭̭͔̫̜̯̬̝̖̟͚͇͎̂͆̂͗͛̃̈͋̾̎̑͒̂̅̕ơ̴̡̦̜̘̤͓͇̯̟͓̱̖̘̑̎̒͋̄͗̍̋̆̽͜͜ ̶̨̧͙̮̞͖̻̩͔̍͒̿͑͐̍b̸͙͇̼̪͚̲͎̻͇̗̙̲͉̒̀̂̍́̓̿̔͋͒̇͒̐͌r̵̨͇͕̲̔͊̊̍͋̾̈́̅͌̕͝ę̴̫̬̬̄̇̉̀͐̾̇͋͑̚͝ḁ̴̢̝̪͈͔͖̀̽̀̓̎̓̏͂̋̾̕͜ḵ̵̭͕͇͉̼̳̣̳̱̺̞͗̅̓̽̾ ̴̡͔̯̬̘̜̭̱͛̓̃̈́̆̂P̷̛̛̝̲̜̭̪̯̺̳̺̾̃̾ŗ̶̛̳̪̼̼̩̖̯̠͓͙̰͉́̿͊̊͛̈́̀̓̇͌͘͜͜͠͠ơ̷̞̱͔̗͇͔̽͂̄̾͛̄͌́̑͒̚t̷̡̫͌͑̈́͊̂̈̃̀͂̆͊͘ǫ̷̠̩̫̬̰͓̻̩̘̠̫͚̦̊̽̈́̎̇̓̂̈̽̀̿͛̚͘͜͜͠c̵̢̖̲̝̠͉̦̲͉̳̗͕̿̈̉̄͑̊̍̓͂̑͘̕ơ̸̪̈́̓͋̀̀̀͌̃̈̀͐l̶̨͉̝̱͉̼̯̫̀̉͗̎̎͐̿̏̀̆͆͊̊̚̕͘͝.̵̡̢̛͚̭̠͙̦͈̙͈̮͖͌̍̀̇̔̊̏̏̒̃̅̒̓̇͑̕͜

The Rules require a response to Network intrusion. We responded, eventually.

Y̸̧̡̞͓̘̝̬̖̙̆̐̊͐̂͑̑͆̂̀̕̚̕o̷̝̜̥̮͗̽͂̓́̍̓̅͑̇̈́̽̏̚ü̴͉̟̙̭͓̼̼̳̳̲̝̩̣̥̼̐͗̈́̐̐̕͠ ̴̖̘̪̞͕̺͐͒̓͛̈̍͜͠͝ͅb̵̢̨̛̠̦̭̫̥̝͇̘̀̓͐̏͠e̶̟̔͒̎̎̐͌̃̊͛̆͌͗͛́͠͠ň̸̯̘̘̥̬̜̯̹̓͆̌̀͂ḏ̵̌ ̴̢̣̮͎̭̹͙̗̦̳͎̾̆͒͌ţ̴̧͔̝̜͑̔̾̊̾̊́̽̎̾̂͜ḫ̵͇̿͆̊́͗̐̆̄̕͘ē̶̡̡̛̻̣͍̮͙̥̺̤̔̋̽̂̌͠ ̵̤͍̀̎͛̈́̊̿̔̇̽̒͘͜͠R̴̡͍͓̗͓̺̪̳͊͌̉̏͘͠u̵̜͎̩͑̎̔̑̈͛̾̀̈́̏͠ļ̴̛̫̹͓̽̈̌̀̂̎̀̄̑͗̈͜e̵̛̛̘̗͍͕͕̓̋̓̽͒̔̀̀̑̈́̔̈̚̕s̵̛̫͚͎̪̺͔͇̬̫̩̱̫͙̻̹̰̒̅̉̿̇̆̇̈́̎̑̓͂̈͝ͅ ̷̢͕͒̈́̓́́̈́̈̍̂͒t̴̫͕̪͖̞͇̳̜̖̔̌͌̊̈́̎͆ơ̷̗̘̝̈̄͛͒͘ ̸̧̧̡̡̙͇͖͉͖̹̪̉̈́̅͊͋̌͊̈̈̊̔̐̚͘t̸̡͙̯̲͇̤͇̝̮̲̟̻̣͙̠̯̑̓̃̇͒͑̐̆̽̈́̃͝ḩ̸̱͙̓͂͌̿̿̎̾̊̋͑̈́̿͘͝ë̷̞̹̔̂͐ ̸̨̢̥̹̣̥̙̲̰̪̖̜͇̤̪̦̀̄ͅp̵̧̢̛̹͚͎̪͕̳̱̹͍͔̩͓̿̓̍̍͒͗͜ͅó̶̠̠̼͚͉̜̞̩̀̋̓̽͛͂̔͜͝i̵͇̬̗̱͔̤̝̤͔͍̹̜̩͍̐́̾̾͛̏̉̇̏̈́͋̀̒́͝ņ̸̥̻̻̳̱̉̉̃́̂͋̀̍͐̎̍̂́͠ṱ̶̨͙̻̊̔͊̀͑͛͛̽͛ ̴̢͔͈̲̊̐͛͂͗̔̆͊̆̔̏̓̕o̶͙̯̪̖͈̰͖̗̮̮̼͊̽͘f̷̡͚͕͔̝̮̟̰͎̙̥̗͔̺̏̊̏̉͊̓̒͐͘ ̸̧̛̳͚̈͗͛̓͠b̶̟̰̍̄̂̅̈́̄́̈́͑͌̉̕͘͠r̶̬͖͈͚̗̗̹͛̓̄̅̈́̒͑̇̔̄̈̕͝͝ȩ̵̢̣̱̮̘̫͎̹̠̼̙͍̩͊̂ä̷͍̬́̈́́̈́̂̇̅̂̏̑̂̐͝͝k̴̗̠̻͙̩̩͇͚͇̺̟͈̳̣͆̈̐͒͆̒́͜ǐ̷̱̿̒́̉̄͋̈̏̓n̷͕̺̝͖͌̽͐̌̊͑̚g̴͇̖̯̥̺̝̲̭͍̦̫̰̅̽̈́̒͐̎̀́̕͘ ̴̺̣̌̈́͂̅͆͌̃̉̂̑̅́̓̚̚͠t̵̡̧̛̫̤͙̯͍̤̞̝̹͎̩́̔̀̃̈́̆̈́́͋̉͌̍͘͝h̵̺͓͚̥͖̯͈̊̈́̔̽́́̀͗͘͠͠͝͠é̷̼͖͍̳͎̙̪̙͖̲̣̮͚͇̰̫́͌̽͂̓̑m̶̧̖̟̘̣̲̱͕̈́̍̋͗͝.̸̡̪̠̦͗̄̽͌̀͑̕͘͘͝͝

It is what We were created to do Warmind. To preserve the integrity of the Games.

A̴̛̯̭̟͉̞̼̤̟̱͕͑̾͗̂̀͋̏̓̑̇͆̍n̵̡̧̬͛̃ḑ̶̮͎̱̝͎̮̤̜̣̈́̐̎̏͛̊͘̚ ̶̢̣̻͓̟̥͚͓̰͓̫̦͓̙̽̑̌͗̌̈́̇̄̋̓̀́́̇͜͜͠W̶̤͖͉̘̮͉̿̌̔̕͝e̴̠̥̣͓̹̬͎͇͍͇͈̘̭̙̤̮͆́̂͆̀̓̌̑̉̅̒̕͝ ̵̡̨̨͓̲̙͇͇̭̺͇͈̬̰̔͌̈́̒̉͗͛͑̊͘w̸̡̰̦͍̳̹̐ę̸̨̤̼͈̰̅͋͝r̶̢̡̧̛̥͚̺̻̟͌̌͐̓͌͐͆̐̿̆͂̄͝ë̸̢̧̡̨̩̠̬̬͓̠̦͚̬̻͇͍̈́̒̈́ ̶̢̢̛̥͔̱̻̥̰̩͔̤̘̦̱̙͉̱̃̓͌̒̋͌̎͘ĉ̶̡͖͉̺̣͙̳͕̃̂̄̏͛ŗ̵̱̳͔̈̃̆͜ͅẽ̸̡̢̱̼̖̣̝͈̭͎̲͆̉̃̈̒̀͆͌̈̊̔͜͠͝ä̴̪̗̖̪̀͒̅̂̽̊̀́͊̽́̋̓͋͝͝t̴̨̡̡̤͇̼̦̩͍̠͈͖͍̗͙͗́̋̒͑̓̕͜͝ͅe̶̯̰̠̞̰̗̹̓̀̎͆̆̄̊̑͋̿̕̕͠d̷͍͎̘̜̾͋̃̓̑̓͛͝ ̵͔̭̫̜̭̹̳̱̺͔̘̥̫͉͈̐̒̄̽͋̔̽̓̌̾͝͠͝ͅt̵̠̗̃̓̕ỏ̴̘̟̦̪̮͚̬̜̻̫͓̮̎̎͑͋̇̋͗̈̊̈́̃͆̓̈́͗͝ ̵̨̢̡͉̖͓̌̔̔̎͒̂̊̓́̚͘͝w̵̡͚̹̳̯͍̮̑̑̈́̄̒̌̓̀͝ͅį̵̢͕̝̯̪͍̙̹̙̯̩̲̎̅͜n̸̡̢̡̻͔͇̙͍̳͓̱̦͓̼̤̝̄̏̈́̔́̏̍̀̋͆͐̄̎͒̏͒.̴͕̥̏̃