Gabriel was beating his head against the counter. To get out of his explaining situation, he had to outright invent a whole absurd story about the Dungeon not wanting to deliver him a Challenge because of his 'being a Herald situation.' He told them he remained stuck in the darkness with a descending number that counted down the minutes until he could come out. It was a shitty lie, but that was what he managed to come out in those few minutes. He had never been good with lies anyway. However, there were no doubts that the Seer would be able to see through it, and if he did not tell her the truth, he might get himself in a nasty situation, another nasty situation.

They had, of course, never heard of such a thing. Just as it was unheard of a thing such as a timer for in a Dungeon. He knew they had not been the only ones hearing it, and the idea that the distorted knowledge could spread did indeed amuse him. However, the number of answers he had to answer after that gave him a terrible headache.

"Are you going to ruin my counter, Gabe? It's new, you know?" Garena said, extending him a beer from the other side of the counter.

She placed her elbows on the counter and her chin in her hands as she used to do. Her short dark hair was growing. Her bangs now dangled in front of her eyes, and she had taken to blowing them away every time they did. She wasn't used to it.

"Are you making them grow?" Gabe asked, massaging his temples.

"My hair? Yups, maybe a little. You like it better short?"

"Wasn't saying that. And anyway, you would look amazing even shaved, really."

"What a flatterer you are, Gabriel Walker. About that, have you seen Olivia recently?"

"Mmh, the other day, at the hospital."

"Well, she didn't come back yesterday. I thought she had stopped in your room. But she's not there too."

Few people were remaining in the hall; most of the guests had left, including Varcivald and Greta, Fang as soon as they came back, duty. The worker, Orcs, some violet, some of green complexion, and Dwarves swept and cleaned the place. As Gabriel had gathered, they were parents or people that Commodo and Garena had saved from The Core.

"Why did you think she would be in my room?"

"Oh? Was I wrong? Didn't you two… no?" She stood straighter, "Oh my. I might be growing old. My senses are failing me."

"No, well, yes. We did, but it was right after we left, and many things changed and happened after that. Even though it was a relatively short time frame. We've had quite a falling out," Gabriel admitted. Liz was already sleeping on a stool by his side.

"These things always happen, especially considering what happened to you. It would be insensible asking you to think about something else before finding stability for yourself," said Garena.

Gabriel had told Commodo and the she-orc about his adventure in Turtle Dungeon. It had been a moment of true connection for them, and they had listened to him until the hand. Commodo had held his hand many times as Gabe cried.

They had been of incredible support for him, and it was easy to say that Gabriel had never really experienced relying on someone so much, or at least on someone who wasn't his mother.

"But I don't understand. You still felt the feeling? I kind of can't stand her right now. So, whatever you are feeling, I'm positive it doesn't come from me."

"Oh, you'd be surprised how many things our animalistic side let's slip past us," Garena said.

"No… you can't be serious! You can… feel those kinds of intentions?"

She smiled, "My skill set allows me to... blend, with my more animalistic side. A bit like you, Druids, but less Spiritual and more… wild. At the same time, it gives me access to some other types of perception. My Class is called Wild Brawler."

"That means you can feel when one is, well, aroused too?"

She nodded with a smile.

"But surely not when one has those kinds of thoughts? Right?"

"Well, it depends on their intensity."

"Jeez… that's a nasty advantage over the other sex. You are a disaster walking machine. Thank God you're already taken, or you'd be slaughtering us, poor male genre."

Garena chuckled. "There was a time in which it was like that, both sentimentally and physically. You see," she continued, pouring herself a drink and one for Gabriel, who thanked but declined, "Among my people, the Brawler class is widespread. The Wild Brawler, though not overly rare, is not that common. Being one had its advantage. And they clearly showed, especially in the way I used them," she said, gulping down the rest of the drink.

"So, sexy bomb Garena was a sexy man-eater Garena. Man… No matter how I think about it, I can't see you in those ways. Anyway, did you feel that from me as well, or was it from her?"

"That's not a gentleman's question to ask, but since you were intimate, I'd say mainly from her. But she's been holding back, isn't she?" Garena said.

"I don't know if it's holding back. But I'm not allowing her to take any steps. And by the way, she said some things, it looked like she was pushing me toward… someone else." Saying that, Gabriel waved his hands.

"Well, Rena, thank you for adding another note on my already empty list of things to think about, but now I'm going to sleep. Have a wonderfully wild night."

She smiled, "Good luck for tomorrow!"

"How the hell do you-! Right, wild senses…"

Gabriel was to meet the Yggdrasilian girl the day after that. And he was indeed rather excited. It had been the things that excited him the most since, well since leaving Turtle Dungeon, and as of the moment, thinking about the encounter and the girl with her suave laughter was the only thing that kept him from bashing his head because of his mother's abduction situation. The more time passed, the harder it would be for him to find her, or at least so he thought.

***

Resting on his bed, Gabriel was ready to make the choices he had taken as they went over his Perks strategy with Varcivald.

It was clear that to become a true battle mage, some key Perks where needed, Perls he had left behind. For example, Channeling and even more Magic Circle. They were both achievable only with this method.

He recalled a determined bit of information that he suspected already.

"Most of the V.I.P.s buy a Dungeon Challenge pass such as what you should have experienced today, not only here in Yggdrasil. But in another very known Dungeon in The Glade," he continued, "You see, Elves have their own collection of Dungeon near their forests. Each of the Four Season Forests are born from a Mother Tree, just like Yggdrasil but much more ancient. There are multiple Dungeons around their territories. However, only one of them in the entire territory of The Glade has a level low enough to be considered farmable. It can be found in Winter Forest."

"So, with this current selection and the next, if I get a chance in doing it, I'd be able to become a proper magician?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes. You see, as you have surely noticed, the first few selections are vital to building your class around. I should not tell you, for example, how Auto-targeting or Far Sight can forge the hunter classes, Taunt for the tank classes, and Meridians for the melee fighters. In your case, having Meridians and Magic Circle would make you a proper battle-mage. But I won't lie to you; there are always advanced Perks that we'll make you lean toward one class more than another. So, you will never properly become a thorough and thorough battle-mage unless you beat all the possible Hidden Challenges, but there are only so few Dungeons in which that type of thing is doable. In fact, I have no idea how you managed to beat Turtle Dungeon's Hidden Challenge, but I doubt that's gonna repeat itself."

With knowing that he might get access to at least another Perk selection of the likes, Gabriel and Varcivald started theory-crafting on which among Channeling and Magic Circle was the most vital of the two in Gabriel's current situation.

"You could always keep studying runes since you need to know them perfectly to summon the desired effect, which makes Magic Circle really not that useful to you right now," said Varcivald.

Gabriel wasn't certain; however, some of the things the Elf said were true.

"For sure, it would not bring me an immediate increase in power output nor actual abilities, that's for sure…" he found admitting in the end.

"While Channeling empowers anyone. Many ranged fighters use it to empower their throwing Skills and their Skill Traps." Hearing that was the focal point of Gabriel's decision.

"Skill Traps can be empowered by Channeling?" He asked eagerly.

"Yes. And although Sub-Skills derived by Magic Skills cannot, all other types of Skill or Sub-Skills can. Your new, and congratulations about that, teleport, for example, can be turned into a Skill Trap. You cannot use it on others, but you can set it as a Skill Trap. Sparing yourself the cost. Skill Trap is a rather good Perk, really malleable too. It's weird you never used it."

"That's because I'm a douchebag. Easy."

"That's one nice way to put it," Varcivald nodded.

"You are one mean Elf, Master."

"Life's tough." Varcivald agreed, sipping on his beer.

Back from his memory trip, Gabriel knew which one would be his newest Active Perk.

Congratulations, Gabriel Walker.

You have unlocked a free past Perk Selection!

Choose one Perk for each selection:

Active Perks (7);

Passive Perks (5);

Spirit Perks (5)

Active Perks.

Choose one Active Perk:

Binding allows the formation of official contracts, which can be used to bind willing targets to other willing targets, objects, places, or situations.

Cost is based on the number of targets.

Channeling is the ability to continuously fuel Mana to something which requires it, including Skills, Magic Skills, and devices to increase its output or its duration.

Mana cost is doubled for each second of Channeling. Skill power and duration can be incremented only in relation to your Mana Pool size.

Warning. Not every Skill can be augmented with Channeling.

Far Sight is the ability to empower your gaze to extend far in the distance. Up to a certain degree, your vision, or other senses, will bend around objects covering it or shielding it.

It can be stacked with other Perks.

Magic Circle is an ability that allows the user to summon Magic circles to use Magic rituals.

Cost 1 Mana for Magic Circle, the cost doubles every time for each subsequent layer after the first.

Party Leader allows the user to form a party of up to six individuals. Party privileges are party interface (1 Mana drain per 24/hrs), party invite, (1 Mana), communications system (2 Mana drain per 24/hrs), experience sharing (3 Mana drain per 24/hrs), summon party member (100 Mana per summon, 24/hrs cooldown).

Echolocation allows the user to perceive the world around them in ways sight cannot.

Cost: 1 Energy per use.

Taunt allows the user to grasp an enemy’s attention more easily. Aggressiveness, mind state, intentions, and direction of the Taunt affect its effectiveness.

Cost: 1 Energy per use.

I choose Channeling.

The peculiar Tethers failed to connect once again but granted him their blessing all the same.

Now Passive Perks, please.

Choose one Passive Perk:

Enhanced Pain Resistance gives you a mental edge in dulling out the pain. With enough training, it is possible to cancel pain entirely.

Air resistance is not an issue is an ability that enables the user and its object to move as if air resistance did not apply, effectively freeing the user of negative natural effects that would restrain its maximum movement speed.

Mass is not an issue is an ability that enables the user to deal with tethered sentients as if their mass did not matter. (Example: stopping an assault of a fifty tonnes monster ignoring the difference between the user and its target mass; taking into considerations only Attributes and their relative effects.)

Enhanced Perception increases the user’s range of perception of all senses. Warning. Senses-related Perks stack with each other.

Life Tank is an ability that allows the user to store one full Life Pool inside of his core.

Life Tank can be drawn upon in every situation in which the user retains control of his actions.

Regeneration from Life Tank does not restore the body. It only refuels Life points.

Once drawn upon, Life Tank must be fully emptied before being restocked.

I wish I could skip this one for a future Perk selection.

Gabriel and Varcivald had talked at length about this selection. Gabriel was sure Enhanced Pain Resistance was useless, while Varcivald was sure of the contrary, so they agreed on disagreeing on that subject.

However, the effective abilities tied to Air resistance is not an issue, and Mass is not an issue were... problematic. Although on the Air resistance, one was not specified, both the abilities were meant to work for Tethered beings. Which made Gabriel directly excluded from their range of effects.

Basically, where Air resistance is not an issue was an ability chosen by speedsters or even affliction specialists to move about with maximum fast-paced movement without worrying about anything restraining them, Mass is not an issue was for heavy hitters or tanks.

It made heavy hitters capable of applying their abilities on things and monsters against which their weight was nothing while considering only their bare Attributes. At the same time, it allowed tanks to stop monsters that big as buildings or that weighed as mountains by only taking into consideration their attributes.

In Gabriel's case, their effect was unknown because it governed the alchemy between tethered beings. What it meant was that, even if a man with a power of one thousand went on Earth, on which nothing was Tethered, he wouldn't be able to slash down a building or stop a train. Things which were instead possible on Alter.

"But, a building or a train are not sentient beings," Gabriel obviously asked.

"When it is something that is not alive , what is taken into consideration is the soul of the planet. Earth has one, like all the planets, but it too is untethered. Thus, everything made from it will be considered as untethered," Varcivald answered.

"So… the planets have souls," Gabriel said more than asked.

Varcivald nodded; they were having their third aperitif at that point.

Since there was no way to know if not to waste a Perk, Gabriel decided not to try his luck. He was fine without both anyway. Which left his choice to dangle among Enhanced Perception and Life Tank.

With Enhanced Perception, the advantage was clear. Gabe's already Enhanced Senses would become even more comprehensive, and his range would vary. He would become able to witness shades of light he couldn't before, see in the darkness, hear sounds that would not usually be perceived, feel the texture of objects differently. It was enticing. However, Life Tank was an immediate survival boost and not only that. Paired with another Perk that Varcivald had told him about, he would have the ability to cast Burst of Rage up to thrice in the same day. It was an overwhelming difference in both his survival abilities and his defenses.

Life Tank it will be.

Life Tank manifested just like Meridians, with a lot of pain.

It was created by splitting his core and freeing a space in it, inside which store his life essence. It took Gabriel's many breaths away while the process was working. His pain threshold had sky-rocketed since the training in Turtle Dungeon, but it was painful all the same.

Sweating buckets in his bed, Gabriel decided to sit up and go take a shower while the process did its thing.

In the end, it lasted for a few minutes, then the pain went away, leaving him with a feeling of emptiness in his soul. It was only a matter of a few more minutes when he realized how to pour his Life essence into the new empty socket in his core. When he poured his entire amount of Life pool, the newborn Life Tank felt stuffed. It did indeed tore ten points of Life, not more than that.

After speeding up his Recovery with Helping Hand, and drying himself, Gabriel was back on his bed.

Man… to Spirit Perks, I guess. Although this one's easy.

Choose one Spirit Perk:

Spirit Perception allows you and your Spirit to perceive direct and indirect manifestations of spirits as long as they are not using Spirit Fade.

Cost None, duration indefinite.

Spirit Touch allows you and your Spirit to touch direct and indirect manifestation of spirits and to touch spirits even if they don’t have a physical form.

Cost None, duration indefinite.

Spirit Bulk allows the doubling of each Spirit Attributes at the cost of a Spirit pool, for 1 second per Spirit point spent.

Spirit Form empowers your Spirit by joining him in his form.

While in Spirit form, your Total Attributes for Recovery, Resilience, and Stamina are taken into consideration.

You are shielded from each and all physical effects, storing yourself in your Core.

Body maneuverability is shared between you and your Bond Spirit.

Requires Spirit Bulk.

Duration: 1 minute per Affinity for every Night-Day Cycle

Cooldown: None.

Cost: None.

Warning. Spirit must be in touch with your body for the Form to take effect.

Spirit Fusion allows you and your Spirit to fuse into a half-sentient, half-spirit form.

While in half-spirit form, Total Attributes for Affinity, Alacrity, and Power are taken into consideration.

Everything applicable to Spirit and non-spirit can be applied to you in that form.

Requires Spirit Fade.

Duration: 1 minute per Affinity for every Night-Day Cycle.

Cooldown: None.

Cost: None.

Warning. Spirit must be in touch with your body for the Fusion to take effect.

Over this, Varcivald had not much to say. He did not have a Spirit. However, it was clear that Spirit Fusion was by far the best form a Druid could take to increment his physical power output. While Spirit Assimilation was better for casters and Spirit Form for tanks, and not one of them was useless, Gabriel had already invested in Spirit Fade, which was the requirement for Spirit Fusion. There was only this path he could take.

I choose Spirit Fusion, obviously. It's gonna increase my Power output by a lot.

Gabriel, excited as he was, wanted to test it right away. But after having been woken up from his pain, Liz had already gone back to sleep; he did not want to wake her up. So Gabe decided to finally go to sleep. The next day might reserve surprises, considering he was about to visit a Yggdrasilian. He needed to be as fresh as possible.

His upgraded Tethers tab was as such.

Tethers

Bond

Enhancement

Boost

Lizard

Affinity +4

Alacrity +9

Power +5

Recovery +3

Resilience +8

Stamina +7

Alacrity +2

Power +1

Recovery +2

Stamina +1

Perks

Cost

Type

Analyze

1 Mana per use

First Tier - Active

Recall

1 Mana per use

First Tier - Active

Channeling

At least 1 Mana per use

Second Tier - Active

Meridians: 75/75

1 Pool of Energy

Second Tier - Active

Skill Trap

10 Mana per use

Third Tier - Active

Auto-targeting

None

First Tier - Passive

Enhanced Senses

None

First Tier - Passive

Mana Manipulation

None

Second Tier - Passive

Life Tank: 10/10

1 Pool of Life

Third Tier - Passive

Mana Sight

None

Third Tier - Passive

Mana Shield

10 Mana

Fourth Tier - Active

Spirit Perks

Cost

Duration

Spirit Sight

None

Indefinite

Spirit Fade

1 Spirit

1 minute/Affinity

Spirit Hiding

None

1 minute/Affinity

Spirit Assimilation

None

1 minute/Affinity

Spirit Fusion

None

1 minute/Affinity

Tokens

Type

Amount

Free Attribute

None

0

Skill Token

Skill Upgrade

0