Dark Crystal

Flow Capacity: 100%

Dark Crystals are primarily used to Promote Skill to a higher level.

They can also be used to power heavy clock-machinery, as components for the creation of powerful equipment, and used as the basic component of massive Flow spells.

Crystal Weight: 1kg

Shiny Stone

Shade Capacity: 100%

Shiny Stones are primarily used to Promote Skill to a higher level.

They can also be used to power heavy clock-machinery, as components for the creation of powerful equipment, and used as the basic component of massive Shade spells.

Stone Weight: 1kg

There were exactly nine Dark Crystals and five Shiny Stones; it was the haul of the century.

"What are these?" Roana asked.

"These… These are Dark Crystals," I pointed, "and Shiny Stones. And they can turn your life's over..." I was speechless.

"Dark Crystals? Wait a second… these are those things used for Skills Promotion?" Her eyes widened.

I extended her a Shiny Stone.

"Ro, use it for your Command Skill; use it right away!"

"What? Wait, I… I'm not ready; I don't even know how."

I literally shoved it in her hands, "Just wish for it. Command is the only Skill you can evolve, right? Go ahead."

I couldn't wait to use them too, but first, we had to take them away and get the Abyss out of that place.

This lair was a blessing, the blessing I had been waiting, the blessing I needed to turn mine and Nova's life over.

I couldn't believe I would be able to go home and finally show her that all our efforts had been repaid by the world.

We had spent three whole years caring for everybody, and now the world was paying it back!

Momma Jane was right... Fortune was about equilibrium. I hoped that with this find, I had reached it.

However, as I picked them up, I imagined the metaphorical scale of equilibrium, of Fortune, tick over on the other side... Should I have taken them all? Or just a few?

There were a lot of us... Momma Jane, Roana, Alistar... If I had to take just a few for Nova and for me, it would have been unkind toward the others... Jane and Roana had been there for me ever since; Alistar had put his life on the line to help me out. I couldn't just leave that bounty uncared for.

Besides, if the Titan had picked up this many, it meant that he had found a place that was loaded with them.

No... whatever taking these Crystals and Stone would entail, I had to do what was right. Getting us out of our misery was of primary importance.

My satchel was not big enough for all of them, so I split them up. I did not wait for Ro to finally decide to use the Shiny Stone she was still intently looking at; I opened her bag and started loading Dark Crystals in it.

I made sure to get the remaining four Shiny Stones and a few Dark Crystals. I wanted to use them right away, but I believed there still were things I needed to do. Also, I wanted to ask proper questions to the light when next I met it if I did.

I needed to be prepared.

Suddenly I saw Ro jerk her neck back in surprise, and the Shiny Stone disappear in her hands and get instantly absorbed in her body.

"What in the Abyss was that!" she asked.

"What did you see? A dark place with a light at its center?"

"Yes! How did you know?"

"I've been there; I saw it. What did it say?"

"Say? It said nothing. I could only stare at it; then I heard the whispers saying that I had promoted my Command Skill."

So it had not spoken to her… maybe I could hear it because of my Trace Skill? Well, it didn't matter; I would have to talk to it anyway. The account of a third party would not be enough to satisfy my curiosity.

"What do I do now?" she looked at her hands.

"Now? Use Command Perks as much as you can; it will evolve really fast if you do."

"Alright..."

We finished hastily loading the Dark Crystals and Shiny Stones.

We saw many shiny things around the place, but none of them seemed really valuable, just really polished.

When we had had enough of exploring, we decided to take a look at the strip of water at the center of the lake.

The water emitted its light in such a peculiar way that I couldn't but be scared of touching it. However, there were a few spots that were clear of the cone of light.

"Hug me," I said, placing an arm around her waist.

The act itself had become much easier, and excited as we were, we did not let ourselves feel remorse in my case and fear in hers.

She didn't even waver in my arms; I could feel she was actually happy with it.

I held her with my clock-arm and launched a stone with my right arm. Then we transferred immediately to the little strip of water.

And there they were, something I had seen even from across the pond. Eggs.

But these were extremely different from the ones that had already hatched; these were shiny.

A thought crossed my mind, and I couldn't help but express it.

"It couldn't possibly have made these eggs with the help of these," I pointed at my satchel, "right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, look at how they glow; the shells over there do not shine."

"Who knows, maybe it's just- Loke!"

"What"? You scared me for Sun's sake!"

Was the beast coming back?

"The eggs are shaking!"

"Man, you almost made me crap my pants…" Thank the Sun, it was nothing serious.

"Look, look! I believe they are going to hatch."

"Wait, but why now?"

Then I could see the light of an intense Flow flux going out of Roana’s bag and reached the eggs. The light was literally being sucked away.

"Move away; they are stealing the Flow in the Dark Crystals!" I said, trying to get her away, but it was too late.

They had sucked it out.

As Roana checked, she counted three fewer Dark Crystals in her bag. There were three eggs, and they had likely absorbed one Dark Crystal each.

"Sons of a Moon walker… these things have cost us a fortune…"

We might have even bought Sundoor's citizenship with those… Well, not for me at least, but surely for Nova. Maybe she could find a healer advanced enough to heal her eye in the City.

Or… maybe I could buy healing for her with all those Dark Crystals.

Even if Skill Promotion remained a priority, with this much money, we could do many things.

But my reverie was interrupted by the sound of cracking from the eggs.

They were hatching, and soon, three little things were stumbling out of those thick shells; the creatures that came out from them were each different from the other.

The one on the left that was having the hardest time coming out turned out to be a lion cub. Yet it was golden, nothing like the green ones upstairs.

"They're golden; how come?" I had no idea, maybe Ro knew better.

"I don't know; maybe it's the Flow they've absorbed. Aw... he's so cute…" Her eyes were all for the little cub.

But were these creatures still Ethereals? I needed to check.

I Tracked and Traced the first one.

Cub Golden Netherlion (Titan), Level 1 (0/1000)

Health: 100%

Stamina: 78%

Agility: Abysmal

Constitution: Abysmal

Strength: Abysmal

Focus: Abysmal

Perception: Abysmal

Willpower: Abysmal

Strength: Phantasmic State

Weakness: None

Abilities: Phase

This Flow creature poses no threat to a sapient, but if provoked, it takes on its physical form. The Netherbeasts can phase through matter given their Phantasmic nature. They can live both in the Physical Realm and in the Abyss, and while their connection is good with both, being primarily Flowborn, they prefer to dwell in the Physical Realm.

This unique creature might evolve at level 5 into a Juvenile Golden Netherlion.

Crystal weight: 0.501kg

"Woah… these are Traced as Titans!"

"Really? Maybe it's thanks to the Crystals they've absorbed."

Although I expected the first part of the description, the last part had me confused.

The whispers did not know about their evolution? Might evolve at level 5? Why were they uncertain? However, it did not end there; its Crystal weight was more than five hundred grams? Just how? It was so small.

Maybe the lack of knowledge was linked to their birth as Titans.

I focused on the center creature; it had had a much easier time coming out, probably because of its slimy-looking body; it was indeed some sort of crocodile or alligator.

Hatchling Golden Nethergator (Titan), Level 1 (0/1000)

Health: 100%

Stamina: 81%

Agility: Abysmal

Constitution: Abysmal

Strength: Abysmal

Focus: Abysmal

Perception: Abysmal

Willpower: Abysmal

Strength: Phantasmic State

Weakness: None

Abilities: Phase

This Flow creature poses no threat to a sapient, but if provoked, it takes on its physical form. The Netherbeasts can phase through matter given their Phantasmic nature. They can live both in the Physical Realm and in the Abyss, and while their connection is good with both, being primarily Flowborn, they prefer to dwell in the Physical Realm.

This unique creature might evolve at level 5 into a Juvenile Golden Nethergator.

Crystal weight: 0.501kg

With this creature as well, the whispers were uncertain.

The creature on the right was something else entirely, a beetle, a huge golden beetle. It was already way too big as a hatchling; I wondered what it would become as it evolved.

Grub Golden Netherbeetle (Titan), Level 1 (0/1000)

Health: 100%

Stamina: 80%

Agility: Abysmal

Constitution: Abysmal

Strength: Abysmal

Focus: Abysmal

Perception: Abysmal

Willpower: Abysmal

Strength: Phantasmic State

Weakness: None

Abilities: Phase

This Flow creature poses no threat to a sapient, but if provoked, it takes on its physical form. The Netherbeasts can phase through matter given their Phantasmic nature. They can live both in the Physical Realm and in the Abyss, and while their connection is good with both, being primarily Flowborn, they prefer to dwell in the Physical Realm.

This unique creature might evolve at level 5 into a Juvenile Golden Netherbeetle.

Crystal weight: 0.501kg

Alright, it's quite cute, I thought, but in the end, I knew that this was my golden chance, and I would go with what had already become my beast of choice.

I took the golden cub up and looked at it straight in the eyes as if I was challenging it. It looked back at me with eyes that could melt the hearts of any man or woman in existence.

"Damn, it’s cute…"

Roana chucked, "Yeah, he is." She caressed its muzzle.

"Oh, it's a he? I hadn't even noticed."

"I'm sorry about your mother, little Golden Lion, but you are coming with me."

I closed my eyes and entered the taming process.

My will could easily overpower the newborn creature; I could see that it already thought of me as his mother, father, whatever sort of relationship it could have with his parent.

Then I simply bound him to me.

You have tamed a Titan-type creature.

You've earned 100.000 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Tamer level: 23000/23000

Sub-Class Tamer has leveled up to 23.

Your Willpower increases by 1.

You've earned 77112 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Tamer level: 24000/24000

Sub-Class Tamer has leveled up to 24.

Your Willpower increases by 1.

You have unlocked a Skill Perk.

What did…

The whispers did not stop forming in front of my eyes, so I shut them to only my ears; it was still a lot of noise.

You've earned 53112 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Tamer level: 25000/25000

Sub-Class Tamer has leveled up to 25.

Your Focus increases by 1.

You've earned 28112 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Tamer level: 26000/26000

Sub-Class Tamer has leveled up to 26.

Your Willpower increases by 1.

You've earned 2112 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Tamer level: 27000/27000

Sub-Class Tamer has leveled up to 27.

Your Willpower increases by 1.

Soul fractions for next Tamer level: 2112/27000

"Loke, what happened? Does your head hurt?"

"No, I… it's just my Trace Skill; it's going nuts."

"Really?"

Choose your active Pet:

Unnamed (Adult Netherlion), Level 27 (4528/270000)

Health: 87%

Stamina: 52%

Agility: 24

Constitution: 25

Strength: 23

Focus: 21

Perception: 18

Willpower: 27

Strength: Phantasmic State, Claws, Fangs

Weaknesses: None

Abilities: Phase, Prowl, Roar

"Yeah…" There it goes again.

Unnamed (Cub Golden Netherlion) (Titan), Level 1 (0/1000)

Health: 100%

Stamina: 77%

Agility: 1

Constitution: 3

Strength: 2

Focus: 1

Perception: 2

Willpower: 1

Strength: Phantasmic State

Weaknesses: None

Abilities: Phase

Without a sliver of doubt, I chose the Cub Golden Netherlion.

I could feel my link with the adult lion waiting for us upstairs, rescind, and the connection with the cub fill my mind.

"Hello, little thing," I said to him, and I felt the massive rush of emotions wash over me.

Yeah, I was indeed his father now.

That was something that had never happened before. I had always just tamed already developed creatures, creatures that could be defined as juvenile, so a cub was a first for me.

"Do you think we should go?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Alright, hold him up," I practically shoved the cub in her arms.

"Come here, cutie! You're adorable!" She said, picking the cub up.

I could feel he was confused but delighted. But most importantly, it was hungry.

"We're going to share some of our food with him; he's famished."

"He can have all that he wants from me; look at him! He's so cute!"

I was surprised by how excited and sunny Roana looked. Yesterday and until a few days prior, she was overflowing with anger. I knew that what she had gone through would not disappear for a night of cuddles or the face of a cub, but progress was still progress.

I closed my arm around her; however, I looked back at the still two untamed Titan hatchlings. Those were a lot of Soul fractions to leave there… but I could not take them with me, and what would happen if the Titan came back and saw that not only its shinies but all of his pups as well had been taken from it or, even worse, that they didn’t look at it as a parent anymore?

It would mean trouble, a lot of trouble.

A beast, taller than a building, rampaging in the forest in search of revenge.

“Loke? What are you waiting for? Is something wrong?” Roana asked.

I shook my head, “Nothing. Let’s go.” So I started throwing pebbles, at least until I could see.

Then it was back to her being my eyes and I being our means of transportation.

Yet, when we reached the gorge, something I was not expecting happened.

All the creatures around us became silent.

They stopped whatever they were doing and fixed their gazes on us.

The silence that descended upon us was surreal. I had never heard so much of… nothing in my life.

"What is going on?" I said, breaking the spell for Roana.

"I… think they are looking at the cub. I think they fear him. Or maybe…" she closed her eyes for a moment, I believe she had realized something, "Loke…"

"What?"

"Loke, we have to run now. They do not fear him; they want to eat him, I think… I think they are going to steal his rank of Titan if they do."

"Crap."

I launched a pebble as vigorously as I could; it traveled almost all the way to the end of the cave when I did, and just as I activated the Trick Shot's transfer, all the creatures in the cave launched themselves at us at the same time.

The empty silence became a deafeningly, confusing explosion of verses, roars, growls, shrieks. It was chaos itself.

"Sunny shit…" I couldn't help but whisper as I threw ourselves to the exit. "You have to hug me now; I don't care if you squeeze the cub a little, but hold tight!"

What I was about to do was not easy, not at all.

When we arrived at the edge of the tunnel leading up, I discovered that I had just used the last pebble. There was no time to grab any; I took my precious knife in hand, looked up, and threw it with the full power bestowed to my clock-arm. I did not have the same dexterity with it as with my right arm, but the first, strongest throw could be arranged.

When we ported, we might have traveled at least half a way through the tunnel, but when I appeared again, given the weight I had on me, I almost lost my knife.

I threw it again in the air after falling for a few meters, but the next time I gripped it, I had to stop.

I drove the knife in the body of the rock, and thankfully, although scrambling a bit, I managed to find a foothold.

I heaved for the effort but could not stop there. Transferring was much faster than climbing the tunnel.

"Loke, let me go; I can climb it up on my own," Ro said.

"Don't you feel them? They are already coming toward us; most of them can climb this place much better than us, just let me switch arms."

Doing so, I took a big breath, and finally, a couple more Trick Shots later, we were out of the cave.

"Those creatures are not stopping," I closed my eyes to better hear their claws digging the earth and climbing the rock.

"We need to run as fast as we can and leave them behind; where do we go?"

Roana was much more knowledgeable of the territory; she could better drive us.

She was pensive for a moment.

"There is something we can try, although it's dangerous and sure as the Abyss is going to come back to haunt us... but if the creatures keep following us, it might be the best choice."

"Let's go with it; I doubt they are going to stand back at such a chance."

"Then follow me; we'll pass right through full Gnoll's territory."

It was then that I realized she was indeed her mother's daughter.